


Never See a Sunset

by LauraRoslinForever



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Please Don't Hate Me, cause kabby, me doing kabby things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 05:02:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15879096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauraRoslinForever/pseuds/LauraRoslinForever
Summary: In one devastating moment, Abigail Jennings along with her family and friends learn they are about to lose everyone and everything they love. In that same moment, loner Marcus Kane realizes a certain truth that he can no longer run from. Now that their home in space is dying, their only hope is a planet that may kill them faster than their slow death in space. Together, Abby and Marcus along with a few of their friends volunteer to accompany a group of delinquents to the ground. But will their risk be their salvation or their ultimate demise?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So guys, this is going to be a bit of a… different fic. It’s basically The 100 rewritten with the adults a wee bit younger and as the center of the story, with some help from the kids. Since I pretty much just rewound the clock on the adults they are only about 5 - 8 years older than the kids, so unfortunately, there’s no Clarke or Wells. Jake and Abby didn’t happen and as a result of this being a Kabby rewrite, they won’t happen in this story, so if that’s not your thing, apologies. 
> 
> So the gist, you ask? All of our adult faves are sent down to chaperone the 100. Chaos ensues as it does. Where’s this going? I dunno. This is my excuse to write younger Kabby making all the decisions and slow burn falling for each other. So if you’re down. Welcome. Grab a cuppa.

_I walk down the corridor nearly last in line to take my place on a drop ship that will take me and six other young adults down to supervise the first one-hundred humans back on Earth. It's been ninety-seven years since a nuclear apocalypse killed everyone, leaving the planet simmering in radiation. Fortunately, there were survivors. Twelve nations had operational space stations at the time of the bombs. There is now only the Ark, one station forged from the many. We were told the Earth needs another hundred and twenty years to become survivable again. Four more space-locked generations, and man can go home, back to the ground. The ground, that was the dream; however, today it's a reality._

* * *

Twenty-three-year-old Abigail Jennings stepped just inside of the stark, dark gray interior dropship that would soon take her to Earth and paused. Her eyes gazing around at all the teenagers and children that filled the seats. Their red harnesses buckled across their chest. Some of them talked excitedly while others looked completely horrified.

Her stomach twisted in her belly with her own equal amounts of excitement and dread. What was she doing? One way or another, if the Earth wasn’t survivable she would be dead. The Ark only had two months of precious oxygen left. At least this way, she had a chance.

Before she could question her decision any further, a member of the guard grabbed her by the upper arm and steered her roughly across the room to the only available seat next which was, of course, right next to the one person she wanted to avoid as long as possible.  

Marcus Kane.

His eyes widened upon seeing her. Surprise made his normal look of detachment crumble making her almost want to smirk. “What are you doing here?” he asked in a low voice.

She reached for her harness, pulled the thick straps over her shoulders and buckled them with the ones at her sides. “I was the only expendable medic,” she said, and though she tried to ignore him, her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own because they slid to the side to catch his reaction.

He didn’t disappoint. His look was dubious and he raised a dark, knowing brow at her. “This mission was volunteer only.”

“Well, for me it wasn’t,” she lied.

At that moment, the door to the dropship closed and the image of Thelonious’ father, Chancellor Nester filled the three screens displayed on the walls of the ship.

“Hey, Abby, you know when we get to the ground we’re going to have to repopulate the earth, right?”

The comment was made by a smirking Jake Griffin sitting directly across from Marcus. She intentionally avoided Marcus’ gaze though she was certain he or anyone looking at her for that matter would be able to see the heat rise in her cheeks.

“I’m not interested.”

“Not interested _yet_ ,” he said with that dimpled grin and confident tone that won over most of girls in her class.

It didn’t, however, work on her and he knew it. Which was why he tried so annoyingly hard. Ignoring him and Marcus, she looked up at the screen. Listened to the warning Nestor was giving them about making their way to Mount Weather as soon as they reached the ground even though she had been briefed on it all before they left.

The ship shuddered and she grabbed her harness. Her hands clutching and her eyes glancing over meeting Marcus’ warm gaze. This was it. They had launched. They were on their way to Earth.

There was no going back now.  

Just then something out of the corner of her eye had her turning her head and what she saw made her eyes widen. Jake, unnoticed by everyone was unbuckling his harness.

“Jake, stay in your seat!” she called out.

“Come on, Abby…” he began removing the straps from his shoulders and floating out from his seat, “live a little.”

“I’d prefer living for a while, thank you. When the parachute deploys you’re going to get hurt.”

He smirked. “And then I can have to patch me back up.”

She rolled her eyes. _Why me?_ she wanted to know.  Why not CeCe? Why not Diana? There was nothing truly significant about her. She was plain compared to her other friends. But no, she had to draw the attention of the most and the least popular guys her age.

“Idiot,” Marcus muttered from beside her.

She turned to look at him. He rolled his eyes and looked at Jake with undisguised contempt.

“You could help me out you know?” she told him.

He blinked at her and she gazed back into those dark eyes, trying to keep her eyes from taking in his face and all that annoying hair. 

“Why would I go out of my way to interfere with natural selection?”

Her eyes narrowed. God, he could be such a jackass.

Just then she heard laughter and cheers and turned in her seat to see more follow after Jake. “Get back in your seats!” She might as well have been talking to the floor because they paid her about as much attention. She turned back at Marcus who was watching the scene too. “Isn’t this the reason why you’re here? To keep them from behaving like this?”

He stared at her a moment before calling out over his shoulder, “You two get back in your seats. That’s an order!”

The younger kids started making their way back to their seats, but when he said nothing to Jake, she looked over at Thelonious for help.

His eyes met hers, picking up on her plea for help. “Jake, get back in your seat. Show a better example for the kids.”

From above them, Jake sighed. “Man, you guys are a bunch of buzzkills.”

There was a “Whoop!” followed be more cheers. The two kids from before had decided not to listen, and instead continue to float around like space acrobats. She turned her gaze back on Marcus doing nothing to hide the fury in her eyes.

“Anyone not in their seats when this ship lands will be the first volunteers to help set up camp!” he called out.

The kids finally pushed away from the walls and towards their seats.

“Thank you,” she told him.

The ship rocked and the lights flickered. There was a soft hum for long moments until they hit they finally hit Earth’s atmosphere. The ship lurched then, and Jake just managed to buckle in his seat but the other two other kids were thrown to the top of the ship and then down, landing violently on the floor.

Abby reached out and grabbed Marcus’s hand that was holding tight to his knee.

She closed her eyes, picturing her mother’s face.

_Her green eyes filled with tears as she said goodbye. “If we don’t see each other again, my darling, don’t forget to live.”_

_“Mom,” she started but paused letting out a shuddering breath, “we don’t even know if the ground is safe.”_

_“I have hope that it will be.” Her mother reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Hope, Abigail, is everything.”_

The ship rocked and lurched even more violently than before. The screens went blank and sparked, the sound of Nester’s voice disappeared leaving only screams as they continued to plummet. Then as suddenly as it began the landing rockets kicked on and they set down with a soft thud to the ground.

There was no sound, only silence for long moments.

When the lights flickered back to life someone screamed and she remembered the kids floating and reached for the buckle of her harness. She moved quickly across the ship, followed by Jake, Marcus, and Thelonious.

Kneeling beside the closest kid, she felt for a pulse. Her own heart raced but where there should have been a beat beneath her fingers it was still. She looked over at Marcus who had knelt beside the other boy. His face set in a grim frown. He looked up, his eyes met hers and he shook his head slightly.

Her eyes fell away from his. _Damnit_.

“Proud of yourself?” Marcus asked but his eyes not on her but on Jake standing next to her.

“Hey,” Jake said, his tone defensive. “I didn’t tell them to take theirs off.”

“No, you didn’t.” Marcus rose to his feet. “But what you don’t seem to grasp is that we’re here to set an example. To make sure there is order. If you can’t do that, you’re not a leader. So don’t be expected to be included as one.”

Jake took a step towards him. “I’m an engineer. Order is your business, Kane.”

“You can be sure going forward, any antics by anyone that put others at risk will be punished.”

“Watch me while I shake in my boots.”

“All right that’s enough,” she said standing between them. “We have more important things that need to be done.”

“She’s right,” Charles Pike called out. Abby looked over to find everyone watching them. And she was grateful to Charles when he drew the attention away yet again. “Like opening the door.”

“Charles, you can’t just-” Thelonious began but he was too late.

There was a hiss and the sound of the locking mechanism disengaging. The ship filled with light and she put up her hand to shield her eyes until they had a moment to adjust.

The kids made for the open hatch, and she felt someone take her hand and lead her forward through the crowd until they were standing in front.

“Everyone stay where you are,” Marcus’ voice called out halting those making their way forward. Forgetting all about her hand in his, she took a deep breath. The air was so… sweet. The trees… the mountains… the Earth. Everything was so beautiful. “Go on, Abby. Be the first.”

She should say no. She should tell him it should be someone else, but she couldn’t help the excitement filling her belly at the thought of being the first on the ground.

“Go on, girl.” She looked around then, her best friend, Callie standing at her side smiling at her.

Taking her hand back from Marcus, she took a step and then another until she was standing at the edge of the hatch. All her life she’d only ever stood on metal. Metal orbiting the slowly healing Earth. Never in her wildest dreams when she looked out the viewport did she imagine she’d ever see the surface with her own eyes let alone set foot on the ground.

“What’s the holdup?" Abby looked back, Diana Sydney had pushed her way through the crowd and was now standing beside Charles and Thelonious. Her arms crossed across her chest. "Good God, if Abby doesn’t want to be the first-”

Thelonious put out his hand to stop the blonde coming towards her. “Diana, no. She’s got this.” Thelonious give her a simple nod and she didn’t miss Diana’s impatient roll of her eyes.

With a breath, she stepped down. The earth beneath her feet felt so much different, softer somehow but she didn’t have long to take it in as someone ran past her. The girl’s long dark hair whipping behind her coming to a stop just ahead of Abby.

Her hands flew up, and her voice rang out all around them. “We’re back, bitches!”

Abby turned her head towards the others. A wide smile tipping her lips up mirroring the others. All except Marcus Kane who merely raised a brow which only made her smile widen.

They were back.

Back on Earth.

* * *

He couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised looking around the empty forest. The earth was just as empty as he imagined it. A little greener, a bit denser, but all the same, empty. Only looking ahead, gazing over at her perhaps a little less so.  

Stepping over to Thelonious, he lowered his voice to keep from being overheard and murmured to his friend, “We need to start setting up teams and figuring out how we’re going to set up shelters…”

“Let’s give them a moment to enjoy, Marcus.”

He let out a frustrated breath through his nose. “They’ll have all the time to enjoy it when we’re all safe.”

“We are safe, Marcus. We’re the only ones here.” Jaha put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Relax, take a breath. Breath in that unrecycled air and enjoy.”

Enjoy. The longer they stood around and enjoyed the later it would become and with the sun already high in the sky it would soon be nightfall. He didn’t exactly feel like being at the mercy of the elements. “It’s a waste of time.”

“I agree with Marcus.” Both of them looked over. Diana Sydney was making her way up the ramp towards them. “We need to start preparing teams to get those supplies from Mount Weather if we have a chance to survive out here.”

Marcus’ eyes held Diana's. While she was an insufferable pain in the ass on the Ark, her leadership skills would come in useful on the ground. And if he had to have an ally at least he was certain she wouldn’t let any emotions cloud her judgment.

“If you want to stand around with the rest of the kids and smell the roses go right ahead. Mount Weather is our first priority and I'm through wasting time.”

“I’ll go with you,” Diana said.

Marcus nodded once.

Just then Charles approached them. “I hate to burst everyone's bubble but you all need to see this.”

They followed him. Walked a ways away from the ship and to a clearing with a much more vast view of the mountains. In his hands, Charles held a map. But Marcus didn’t need to hear the words that came next to know what the man’s concern was. With his gaze out on the peaks, his jaw clenched.

“They dropped us in the wrong place,” Charles began, with a tone of annoyance. “There’s an entire forest between us and where we need to be.”

“How far?” The voice was not any of theirs, but Abby's.

Marcus looked over his shoulder and repressed a sigh. Following behind Abby was Jake and Callie.

“A days walk, at least.”

“All right, we’ll split ourselves into two groups," he began, "Jaha, you keep Griffin, Callie, and Abby here with you and try and set up for sort of camp while Charles, Diana, and I go to Mount Weather.”

“I’m not staying,” Abby said stepping towards him.

He shook his head. “Abby, you’re the only medic.”

“Exactly. You don’t know what’s out there, Marcus. If one of you gets hurt, who's going to help you?”

She had a point. One he couldn't argue away with a simple him not wanting to put her at risk without giving away his feelings for her. “Fine, Abby’s with us.”

“If you think I’m staying here you’re nuts,” Jake protested.

Marcus cursed inwardly. Why couldn't Sinclair have volunteered?

“We don’t need an engineer with us. We need you here repairing and establishing communications with the Ark. Your presence is in no way useful to this mission.”

“Mission? Do you hear yourself right now, Kane?”

“Jake, that’s enough. Marcus is right.” Jaha stepped beside him. “The people on the Ark need to know the earth is survivable and you’re the only one who can repair it.”

“Yeah, fine. Someone’s gotta save them all.” Jake sent a grin in Abby's direction.

Marcus blinked at him. Could he possibly be any more arrogant? Had he had the slightest inclination to let his annoyance show he would have, but giving Jake Griffin the time of day was a waste of his energy.

Moving around the others, Marcus made his way over to the front of the dropship and called for everyone to gather around. He told them all how they’d landed off course and how they would now have to trek their way to Mount Weather, but before they all relocated they would be sending only a small team of them.

“In the meantime, you will all stay here while we go after those supplies. You will be under the supervision of Jaha, Griffin, and Cartwright. We’ll be needing volunteers to help set up shelters, finding resources, and most importantly, food. If we do not get those volunteers, you will be selected to help. We need to work as a team if we’re going to survive.”

“Who the hell made you our leader?” called out a tall, dark-haired youth. He couldn’t have been more than seventeen.

He walked over to him. “The chancellor, right before we were dropped and if you have a problem with that, no one’s keeping you here. Feel free to try to survive on your own.”

Kid clamped his mouth shut after that. _Good_ , Marcus thought. Let them think the only other option is to survive on their own. That ought to keep most of them in line.

It was then Charles’ voice rang out, “Use your earth skills. We’ve been through this. We need fire to keep warm, shelter, water. We can do this.”

The crowd seemed to accept this with only a little reluctance.  

To Abby, Diana, and Charles, Marcus said, “All right, let’s gather some supplies and meet back here in ten minutes. We have a long walk ahead of us.”


	2. Chapter 2

With each step she took, Abby’s feet felt like they were on fire. On the Ark, physical activity consisted of walking or running laps around the ship. Walking on Earth wasn’t like walking on the Ark. The terrain was rough. There were inclines she wasn’t used to, obstacles like fallen trees and holes in the ground. And Goddamnit how the hell did he just march through it all like it was nothing when the rest of them were out of breath and stumbling over everything, even their own feet.

The bastard.

Maybe she should have stayed at camp. She could have stayed and set up some sort of med tent for injuries. But no, she had to go trailing after him for reasons she wasn’t ready to admit, all the while glaring at the back of his head. Maybe that’s why he didn’t want her to come? Because he thought she did have what it took. Well, she had news for him. She wasn’t weak. If he could do it, so could she. Hoisting her pack higher up on her back, Abby quickened her steps to catch up.

A little while went by, she had started singing and old earth song Love is a Battlefield under her breath when from up ahead of her Diana came to a stop.

“How far do you think we’ve gone?” Diana asked, and Abby suppressed a smirk hearing the weariness in Miss Dung-ho's tone.

At least it wasn’t just her.

“I'd say about fifteen miles,” Charles answered walking just ahead of of her and Diana, also slightly winded, but only a few paces behind Marcus.

This was ridiculous. They’d been walking for hours.

“We need to stop and try and find something to drink and eat,” Abby said slowing her steps. “As fast as we’re going, with the number of calories we’re burning, we’re going to get dehydrated and-”

Marcus came to a stop and turned. It may have been petty, but seeing the sweat drip down his brow gave her immense satisfaction. “There will be food and supplies at Mount Weather.”

“Which is still five miles away that you know of.” She straightened her shoulders though her back ached and her legs felt like lead.

His steady gaze held hers. “We’re more than halfway there. A little farther and-”

God, he could be so damn obtuse. Could he not see how winded Diana was, how Charles was clutching his side, how shaky she was? If he made them go another step she was sure she’d fall over.

Her voice rose over his. “A little farther and some of us are going to pass out from overexertion. Our bodies aren’t used to this, Marcus. Not all of us were trained on the Ark to be soldiers.”

His eyes held hers in a silent challenge. He knew she was right but it was now a battle of wills. She wasn’t going to back down and neither was he. She could see it in his eyes. He was going to continue on with them or without them. She tilted her chin up. _Go right ahead_ , she thought.

But whatever decision he would have made in that moment was taken by one of their companions.

Diana let out a groan and leaned against a large rock beside her. “This time I’m afraid to say it, Marcus, but I agree with Abby.”

She narrowed her eyes at the blonde. Her tone disguised none of the resentment she felt at the comment. “Thank you so much, Diana.”

“Wait, shhh.” Charles stepped in the middle of the small circle they seemed to have naturally formed. “Do you guys hear that?”

It grew quiet as they all listened. It took Abby a few heartbeats but suddenly the sound in the distance was as loud as could be and she was amazed at how they could have missed it before.

The rushing sound of...

“Water,” Marcus said.

Diana stood, the small pack she carried falling off her shoulders. “Oh, thank God.”

They all started in the direction of the sound. The farther they walked the louder the sound became until they were standing in front of a wide, crystal clear river. Thick, green pine trees lined both sides of the shores, large rocks sat here and there, like they were dropped haphazardly from the sky into the water below.

She didn’t notice it right away, but her traveling companions had already started down the small incline to the water’s edge below.

“Wait,” she called out following quickly behind them ignoring the sharp pain in her feet, “we should treat the water first before we drink it.”

As if just realizing it, Charles stopped in his tracks. His look almost disappointed, and she wasn’t entirely sure if it was because he hadn’t thought of that first or if he wasn’t sure how they would do it. “Abby’s right. Could be contaminated.”

Diana turned towards her and lifted a brow. “And I suppose _you_ have something in your little pack to make it drinkable?”

Abby tugged her bag from her back and smirked. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

The look Diana gave her could almost be taken for mild appreciation. “It's a good thing Marcus let you come.”

Abby ignored the comment and reached inside her pack, taking an empty bottle and another, only this one smaller with dropper and filled with Iodine. Doctor Kells had stuffed it into her hand just before she walked out of medical on her way to the drop ship. _For the water,_ he’d said then gave her quick instructions on how to use it and what to do after it was gone. Making her way down to the water, she filled the empty bottle. The water was clear and free from any debris, but she’d still be safe rather than sorry. Adding the drops from the smaller bottle she shook it and let them know they had to wait just a few minutes before they could drink which everyone took with a silent acceptance.

After five minutes, she passed the bottle to Diana who took a drink then gave it to Charles and then Marcus, but he took it and handed it to her.

“You first,” was all he said.

She took a quick grateful sip then held it out to him. But instead of taking it, his eyebrows lifted and his eye fell from her to the bottle and back as if to say, _that’s it?_ Her heart did a little flip-flop in her chest at the gesture, and only once she had taken a considerable drink, did he accept it without complaint.

Charles spoke up, “The sun’s almost down. We should set up a camp to rest and try and get a few hours of sleep. It won’t do us any good if we get lost in the dark.”

“What about food?” Diana asked.

Charles pressed his lips together and looked around. “I could find some bugs.”

Diana laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I think I’ll wait for those supplies.”

It was Abby’s turn to agree with Diana.

Marcus started to make his way back up the embankment. “Charles, why don’t you try and start a fire. Abby, maybe you and Diana can try and look around close for anything edible. I’ll go see if I can find anything a bit more substantial.”

“Sounds good,” Charles said and set off after him collecting twigs and branches and things to build this fire as he went.

Diana followed behind Charles. Though what the blonde could possibly know about farming and edible plants was beyond Abby. She didn’t follow after either of them but instead jogged to catch up with Marcus.

Grabbing his arm, she stopped him in his tracks. “You’re going by yourself?”

He tilted his head, his normally warm brown eyes were hard to see as darkness began to settle in. “I won’t go far.”

“But Marcus-” she began.

He placed his hand over hers and gave it a soft squeeze. “Abby, I’ll be back.”

She didn’t know why she was so worried. _He_ was the one with the gun after all. With a soft sigh, she let go of his arm and nodded. He left without another word and she made her way over to where Diana and Charles were arguing about the best way to start a fire.

It seemed she was on her own in looking for something for them to eat. Not that she knew exactly what she was looking for.

Staying close by the others, she wandered around, her eyes searching but her mind on other things. On a certain dark-haired idiot out there on his own. Him splitting up from the group made her anxious. She jumped at every break of a twig, every loud noise in the distance.

She circled their little camp more than a dozen times. Listened to Diana and Charles squabbling, while fighting her own annoyance at herself for finding nothing of significance for them to eat except some berries that looked too suspicious for her to consider. The sun had gone down by now, and she started to worry if he had gone too far and wasn't able to find his way back.

She was just about to suggest they go and look for him when she heard footsteps.

“Someone say something about food?”

She turned at the sound of his voice, her shoulders dropping in relief when he came walking into the little makeshift camp of theirs holding his gun and something furry by the tail with one hand and the other tucked up against his chest, full of what looked like butter yellow flowers.

“What the hell are those?” Diana asked rising to her feet and rushing over to him.

"Dandelion and some sort of... rodent.” He held it out by the foot. Its long, brown ears dangled lifeless, breaking her heart more than it should have. “I'm thinking a rabbit?”

Charles chuckled, rose to his feet and took it from him. “You'd be correct.”

“Do you know how to clean one of those things?” Marcus asked him.

Charles nodded. “I've read all about it. It can’t be that hard.”

Abby crossed her arms across her chest and met his eyes across the now brightly lit expanse thanks to Charles’ fire.

With what she’d call a smug smile, he took one of the many flowers in his arm and held it out to her. “Dandelion, Abby?”

“Those are going to come in handy down here. Dandelions are full of essential minerals, vitamins, and especially fiber. Those will help us feel fuller longer, along with the rabbit,” Charles supplied. Of course, he knew that, being from farm station. She watched as he picked up a sharp rock and placing the animal on a fallen tree began to cut into its skin. The sound it make when he ripped it apart made her stomach lurch. Looking away, she walked over to Marcus.

She didn’t care about the look on Marcus’ face when she took the offered bloom from him or the look on Diana’s when she stuffed the whole thing in her mouth.

If she had to choose between flowers and rabbit. She’d rather eat flowers.

Hours later, Abby woke to the sound of a howl. She blinked her eyes open, hearing also the sounds of snoring and turned over to see Diana and Charles sound asleep though she couldn’t be sure who was being louder. Charles or Diana.

She winced as she tried to turn. The ache in her shoulder from sleeping on her side had her turning fully on her back. The mossy area they found to sleep in had been soft at first but it was nothing compared to her bed on the Ark.

Thoughts of home had her looking around for Marcus. She found him sitting not far away. His back illuminated by the small burning fire. He was fully awake, sitting on a fallen tree watching over everything as they slept.

She took the opportunity to study his profile and as she did, her chest tightened as a memory of them, that last memory she thought she’d ever have of them came back to her without warning. Their last day on the Ark when he caught her in the hall on her way back to the quarters she shared with her mom after just having been told they were all going to die unless the earth was survivable.

_“Abby!”_

_She turned and watched as Marcus Kane came jogging toward her. God, what could he want? Had she used too many rations? Did he catch the fact that she and Callie traded their allotted shower times without permission? What could any of it matter anymore anyway? She didn’t have time for this. She needed to get home._

_Regardless, she came to a stop. “What Marcus? I need to go…”_

_He was out of breath like he’d been running all the way from the mess to catch up with her. “Come with me,” he told her, his chest rising and falling with every heavy breath._

_Her mouth fell open slightly. Come with him where? What was he talking about? “What?”_

_“Down to the ground.”_

_Her breath caught in her chest. So he_ was _one of them going down to the ground. She should have guessed, should have known he would want to go. To be one of the first, she guessed. That'd be just like him, wouldn't it? But how could she? It would mean leaving her mother behind and that wasn’t an option._

_“Marcus, we don’t even know if it’s survivable.”_

_“It is.”_

_She wasn’t sure why but the sureness in his tone annoyed her. Angered her more than it should have. “You don’t know that!”_

_He reached up and ran his hand through his hair, disturbing its usual smoothness, making it fall softly across his brow. “No, I don’t. But I have to have hope.”_

_Her tone softened along with her temper. “Marcus, we all have hope…”_

_“No, not like this. This is different.” He took a step towards her. He was so close she had to tilt her head up to look up at him. The intensity in his eyes and the next words that left him both startled her and left her breathless. “I love you, Abby.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_He had to be joking. Kidding with her. Marcus Kane couldn’t_ love _her… he hated her. He never talked to her. He did everything he could to avoid her in school. Unless it was at a debate, only then did he seem to acknowledge her presence. And even_ then _it was with the greatest disdain for “her kind of politics” as he so eloquently put it._

_He couldn’t love her._

_Could he?_

_As if he had read her thoughts, he opened his mouth and said, “I do. And I have since the eighth grade when you got stuck with me on our earth projects. I gave you such a hard time, and I’m sorry. I just didn’t know how to talk to you, other than be the normal bastard that I was…” he trailed off with a slight chuckle right before she watched him swallow tightly. Oh God, he was serious. Her belly swooped of its own volition as he went on, “You’re kind and sweet, and funny. And you’re the first person to tell someone off when you think they’re wrong. Normally, that someone is me. I’m volunteering to go to Earth and supervise the hundred. I want you to come with me. I can’t imagine the idea of you up here, losing you to this when I know you could be safe down there with me.”_

_Her eyes prickled. So many emotions vied for dominance in her head and in her heart. What stood out amongst them was something that should have been inconsequential, made her heart leap._

_He thought she was funny? No one found her funny but her mom._

_She blinked up at him as if it just registered all he had told her. He was going down to earth. Would she ever see him again?_

_“Marcus…” she began, softly._

_He shook his head, told her, “You don’t have to answer just yet.”_

_Don’t have to answer just yet? They were dropping the ship in the morning! She couldn't go even if she wanted to._

_“Marcus, I can't. My mother-”_

_“My mother understands, and so will yours,” he said as if that solved everything for them both._

_“I can’t just leave her,” she replied. The anger was now coming back at the callous way he could suggest such a thing._

_“You can. Just for a little while. Until we know it’s safe.”_

_“And if it’s not?” she challenged._

_“It will be!”_

_The desperation in his tone brought out the indignance in hers. “You don’t know that!”_

_“I have to believe.”_

_“Why?” she asked, “Why do you_ have _to believe?”_

_“Because I can’t imagine this is it for us!” He turned away and took a few steps away from her. With his arms out at his sides, he turned to face her again. “I can’t imagine life ending like this. There has to be more than just this sad existence.” His arms then dropped to his side. “There’s too much to want out of life.”_

_“What do you want?” she asked because suddenly there was nothing more important for her to know._

_“I want what everyone wants,” he said, averting his eyes for a moment as though he was ashamed. “A home. A family. A_ real _life, Abby.”_

 _Her brow furrowed. Was he serious? She couldn’t believe it. Remembered all the times he’d stand to the side with barely contained patience as she brought all the preschool kids back to their classes after their immunizations. She had thought, when he looked at her in those moments, that she saw something in his eyes, but he never seemed like the type to actually want those things for himself. Let alone with_ her _._

_“You, Marcus Kane? A family?”_

_His gaze fell from hers to his hands that he held out before him as though studying the tip of his fingers. “It’s hard to believe but yes.” After a moment, he raised his head, meeting her eyes once more. “I don't want to go without you, but if me going helps get us to the ground, helps save us…” He dropped his hands and took a step toward her and another and another and with each step her heart pounded harder in her chest. “Abby, there are so many things down there waiting for us. Mountains, trees, oceans, sunsets… but they’re all worthless to me without you there. I’d rather never walk through a forest, never feel the ocean, never see a sunset, than lose you.”_

_A tear slipped down her cheek. “Why are you only telling me this now?”_

_“Because I thought I had more time.”_

_She shook her head. This was all so painfully unfair. “Marcus, I can’t leave her here alone. I’m sorry.”_

_He nodded slightly, his eyes falling away from hers not looking entirely surprised. “That’s all right.” He turned to leave._

_“Marcus…”_

_He turned back and suddenly her feet were closing the distance between them and before she knew it she was right there, in his arms and her lips on his. She couldn’t let him go… Couldn’t let him leave without something. If she couldn’t give him the words he wanted to hear she’d give him this. This moment she felt with all that was her._

_Walking away from him without saying a single word was the most difficult thing she’d ever done. Because in that moment, to her, that might have been the last time she ever saw him._

_And it broke her heart._

Pushing herself up, she got to her feet. She needed to get away. She needed to breathe. She needed to not be so close to him with her heart beating like it was.

* * *

Marcus heard when she woke and waited until she had gotten past where he could see her through the trees before he followed after her. He didn’t want to invade her privacy so he hung back but when her footsteps drew further and further away he continued to follow while his mind wandered over the night. Mostly how amused he had been at the look on Abby’s face when Charles started to cook the small animal over the fire. Even in the soft firelight, he could see her pale. At that moment he knew she wasn’t going to be able to eat it, and handed over the last of his dandelions to her.

_“I don’t care what it is,” Diana said, leaning forward from where she sat and inhaled. “It smells delicious.”_

_“It does smell good,” he agreed with a glance over at Abby who pressed her lips tightly together._

_“Ladies first,” Charles called not long after, holding out two long sticks with a small portion of meat stuck on the ends. Diana reached for hers and wasted no time trying it._

_Abby, however, held out a hand and shook her head. “Oh, no that’s okay. I had a lot of dandelions.”_

_Marcus had frowned at that. She could at least try it after all the trouble she gave him earlier about resting and making sure they kept from getting dehydrated and finding food._

_“Let me see it.” He took the stick and peeling a strip of meat away, ate it. The meat was a lot greasier than he imagined it would be, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. It tasted a lot like whatever they put in Monday's lasagna on the Ark. “It’s really interesting.”_

_Abby's brows both rose. “Interesting?”_

_He gave her a look. Patience was never one of his strong suits and he had a feeling she would be testing it on a daily basis. “It’s good. Try a bite. I promise it’s not terrible.”_

_To his utter surprise, she reached out and grudgingly took it from him. He took his stick from Charles. They all dug into their small meal, Charles and Diana enjoying theirs if the noises of delight were anything to go by. He stripped a piece of and watched as Abby hesitantly bite a tiny portion off._

_Her eyes slid to the side meeting his, and his brow rose in question as if to say,_ well _?_

 _She let out a sigh. “You’re right, it’s not_ terrible _.”_

_He smiled. “I’m going to need to get that in writing.”_

_“What?” she asked._

_“You admitting I’m right.”_

_Abby rolled her eyes and he beamed._

_“What’s with you two?”_

_He looked over to find Diana sucking something off the end of her thumb, her eyes narrowed in their direction._

_"I don’t know what you mean,” he told her._

_She studied them both another long moment. “Something’s different.”_

_“The only thing different is that we’re on the ground,” came Abby’s voice and the next thing he knew she was on her feet holding out the stick for him to take. “I’m tired, it was a long walk. I’m going to sleep.”_

_She walked over to where they dropped their packs and laid as far away from them all as she could get while still being on the moss._

_Marcus let out a sigh._

When he finally caught up to her, it surprised him to find her at the shore of the river. The moon above them was full and cast enough light that he could see her easily.

Her boots were lying on the ground beside her and her pant legs rolled up. Her feet were bare and dipped into the water.

“You shouldn’t be here alone,” he told her softly, loud enough for only her to hear them.

She looked over at him, with a soft smile. “I knew you wouldn’t be far behind.”

Closing the distance between them, he stood and looked out over the water. “We should be there soon.”

“I know.”

The sound of something on the water caught his attention. He tensed watching the treeline and the surface of the water for what he didn’t know. With his eyes trained on the surface, he told her, “You don’t know what’s in there.”

Though it was barely audible, she laughed. “Well, whatever there may be can’t hurt as much as these blisters.”

Just then he saw a fish jump from the water. Another soft laugh came from beside him and he realized she had seen them before. He looked back at her and tried to glare at her but she was smiling at him. Biting that bottom lip to keep from laughing more.

She was lucky she was so beautiful.

After a minute, he admitted, “I’ve got them too.”

“That actually makes me feel better.” She moved her boots to her other side. “Sit down and put in your feet.”

He wrinkled his nose at that. “No, that’s all right.”

“Marcus, stop being so damn rigid and get over here. Nothing’s out there. It won’t hurt you to drop your guard for five minutes.” She pat the spot next to her again. “Come on, medic’s orders.”

He let out a breath through his nose but did as she asked. Putting his gun to the side, he sat beside her, removed his boots and socks, rolled up the bottom of his pants.

The gasp that left him was a lot louder than he meant for it to be but good God the water was so bitterly cold. After a few moments, he grew used to the temperature and was able to appreciate the feel of it on the bottoms of his raw feet.

“Feels better doesn’t it?”

He looked over at her and her all too self-satisfied smile. “If I said much better would you let it go?”

“Maybe.”

He snorted. “It feels much better.”

Silence fell between them then.

The damp chill, the wet brush of grass under his fingertips, and the coolness of the lake. It was so surreal. Movement out of the corner of his eye had his gaze lifting, meeting a pair of inquisitive soft brown eyes in return. His heartbeat quickened, hope seized his middle, that perhaps maybe they could finally talk about what happened, but then words he hadn’t expected left her lips.

“Do you think Jake will get the radio fixed?”

His heart sank. Ah, she’d been thinking of the engineering blockhead.

“I do,” he replied with a soft exhale. She raised a brow, her lips curved up, and his own lifted of their own accord. “He may be an imbecile, but when it comes to engineering he’s useful.”

“Useful? High praise coming from Marcus Kane.”

Yes, well, that would be all he would get from him. He learned long ago from when they were kids there was no use competing with Jake Griffin. They couldn’t have been more different. Temperament, philosophy, life aspirations. They had nothing in common, except one thing. And that was the love they felt for the woman beside him.

At least, his was love.

“Marcus,” she said, with her gaze lifted up to the stars.

He studied her a moment before he asked, “Yeah, Abby?”

She let out a long soft sigh. Her shoulders rising and falling along with it. “What do you think our moms are doing right now?”

He smiled at that. “I don't know about yours, but mine’s talking to a tree.”

She laughed lightly, and he watched as she lifted her hands to wipe across her cheeks. It was then he noticed the wetness there and realized she’d been crying. “I hope she's okay.”

His chest tightened. For her, for him, for them. “I have a feeling they're looking out for one another.” And he did. He knew once his mom heard Abby had come, she would seek out Kathryn.

“You think so?” she asked him.

He watched another tear slip down her cheek. The urge to reach out and brush it away and take her in his arms made him look away, look up at the sky where her gaze had once been until it passed.

Once it finally did, he turned his eyes back on hers and gave her a confident nod. “I do.” She smiled at him, and God above she was beautiful. Swallowing, he removed his feet from the water. “We should get back to the others.”

She nodded and followed suit. When their boots were back on, he held out a hand and helped her to her feet. They walked back toward where they set up camp slowly until he heard her footsteps stop and then felt her hand as it touched his elbow.

“Wait, Marcus…” she began, “What’s that?”

She took off away from the direction of their camp so quickly he had to jog to catch up. “Abby, wait,” he hissed as softly but as urgently as he could.

He didn’t know what caught her attention until he found himself standing next to her in the middle of a clearing where a meadow stretched wide before them. His eyes widened. There was so much color. The grass was so bright it seemed almost lustrous and stood out starkly against the outline edges of the forest where a gray mist turned dark blue as it disappeared into the trees.

“Oh my God, Marcus. What is this?” Abby asked, her voice full of the awe he felt himself.

She kneeled in the grass. Reaching out, she touched the small flowers in the shapes of stars that grew in sharp pinks and brilliant violets. So bright was the color around them he had Abby looked muted in comparison.

“The radiation… it must have…” but his words trailed off at her intake of breath. He kneeled beside her to see what it was but her gaze was above them. Lifting his eyes, his mouth opened at what he saw.

Butterflies. So many flying above them he couldn’t begin to count them. Their wings rounded, spaying open and closed, the most brilliant sapphire blue he’d ever seen.

“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered, her words barely audible he might now have heard then had he not been right beside her.

They watched them flutter above them for how long, he couldn’t say. Only when one drifted down from all the others, did he realized he hadn’t moved. The small insect slowly drifted in front of their eyes, Abby held out her hand for it. Marcus felt an urge to pull her hand back but held as still as his breath as it landed in her palm.

She pulled her hand toward her. The small thing didn’t move, even as Abby lifted it up to her face to study it. The brightness from the creature brought out the color in her eyes. He couldn’t have pulled his gaze from the scene before him if he wanted too.

Blues, browns, shimmering. Stunning.

“I've never seen as anything more beautiful,” he said without thinking. Her gaze met his. He could see in her eyes she knew he hadn't just been talking about the scene before them. They began to drift slowly together but then a streak of gold peeked through the trees shining directly into their eyes making them look away. He touched her shoulder and gave a nod in straight ahead. “Abby, look.”

They both slowly stood and the butterfly flew away back with the others. They must have been near the edge of the mountain because through the trees in the distance they could see the sun begin to rise. He took her hand and led her over through the trees to the edge where they could see it more clearly. The morning fog surrounded the mountain illuminating the gold's, oranges, and pinks that stretched across the horizon.

“It’s not a sunset,” she murmured.

“It’s close enough.” He chanced a look over at her to find her looking back at him. He turned towards her, no longer concerned about the sunrise or the colors around them. “You volunteered. I didn't think you would.”

She was quiet for a long moment. Long enough that he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until she said, “They needed a medic…”

He let out a sigh. “Really, Abby? Are we really going to lie to one another? Even here?”

She opened her mouth, probably to argue, probably to deny it some more, but a loud voice broke through the trees and called to them.

“Kane! Abby! We should get going.”

She was gone before he could say another word.

He let out a breath through his nose, let her get a good ten steps ahead of him before he followed after her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when I started this little fic I didn't know Abby had a maiden name and now that I do well, I've gone and changed it so it's a bit more cannonish. These two are ridiculously soft, I know. I don't foresee them changing either.

“We're almost there. A little further.”

Abby huffed and glared at the back of Charles’ bald head. Maybe it was the walk, maybe it was the blisters, but if he said “a little further” one more time, she was going to throw something at him. 

“You've been saying that for over an hour,” Diana called from the back. 

Charles looked over his shoulder at them. “Just think ration pack number seven.”

“Or twelve?” Marcus quipped the tips of his lips pulling up into a rare crooked smile. 

While they may have thought it was amusing, Abby made a face and shook her head. Bland, stewed vacuum sealed vegetables were never her favorite. Then again, not much was really. It wasn’t like in the old vids, where people ate for pleasure. On the Ark, you ate to survive and you got what was served. But ration packs, ugh. She’d take surprise pasta in the mess any day.

“You guys are gonna make me miss Nigel’s cooking,” she told them meeting Marcus’ eyes, most definitely  _ not _ enjoying the way the corners of those eyes crinkled at the sides when he found something amusing.

Diana groaned. “I think I'd rather eat the bugs.”

Abby laughed. She didn’t think she’d go  _ that  _ far.

“Look, I can see the base from here.” Marcus came to a stop, raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun overhead. 

They all gathered around him, and sure enough, there it was. The white structure stood out like a beacon amongst the large boulders and rocks at the top of the mountain. All this time that they’d been climbing towards it, she hadn’t imagined, until that moment, that beneath their feet was a large bunker with floors and floors of space. Shelter. 

“Do you think we can get in there?” she wondered aloud. When all eyes fell on her, she felt her face heat and explained, “It's gotta be better than living in tents.”

Marcus pursed his lips in thought. “We can look around. I can't imagine it would be too hard getting in. Unless of course, it’s locked from the inside. If so, I don’t think we have the means to if it’s sealed shut.”

“Do you think there are people inside?” Diana asked in a whisper as if the said people would overhear her.

“It's a possibility,” Marcus told them. 

“If they’re alive,” Charles added, grimly.

Abby looked over at Marcus. His frown at the statement made her let out a heavy breath. It must have been horrible for everyone on earth at that time. Would they have had time to escape? To seek shelter? She couldn’t imagine many having the time to reach this place unless they were stationed there. Even if they had made it, how prepared could they have been for living almost a hundred years there?

The thought was too heartbreaking to imagine.

They started to move up the mountain again, but the snap of a twig from somewhere in the distance had all their steps coming to a halt. 

Abby tensed just as Diana asked, “What was that?”

Abby turned, looked into the trees from where they were standing in a small clearing. The higher up the mountain, the denser the terrain had become. Not even the sun penetrated more than a few feet into the forest. However, whatever made the sound facing them must have been a ruse because, just as she started to relax, she was yanked hard from behind from where she stood beside Marcus. 

She cried out his name as the pair of strong hands pulled her further and further away.

“Wait, no!” Marcus’ eyes went wide and he tried to reach for her but more dark figures emerged from the shadows, surrounded him, Diana, and Charles. They were all yelling at them in a language she couldn’t understand. 

All were dressed similarly from head to toe in dark clothing, some wearing face masks or hoods. The only thing visible were their eyes, which were dark with distrust and anger, much like their shouts. She tried to focus on their words, what they were saying but the words were harsh and nothing like she’d ever heard before. 

Marcus held his hands up, as did the others. Abby watched in horror as one of the larger men stepped up and punched Marcus hard in the abdomen, knocking him to his knees, and the air from his lungs. Another man came over and kicked him in the side, making him cry out.

“No! Stop! Marcus!” She struggled to get free from the hands around her arms, but they were too strong. 

Charles tried to get between Marcus and the men but was thrown back and knocked away. She was vaguely aware of Diana kneeling beside Charles, her eyes glued on Marcus who was gasping for air holding his side. The figures closed around him, studying him like he was some kind of animal. 

Anger filled her, made her a lot braver than she was and called out, “Leave him alone!”

Another figure stepped in front of her. Abby watched the slimmer man reach for something at his waist, a knife, but paused at the sound of a voice.

“Hey, stop!” Marcus called. He attempted to get to his feet but in the next moment, the knife meant for her was aimed at his neck. 

Abby stopped fighting then. 

Another voice sounded from the tree line and out stepped a young, dark-skinned woman. Unlike the rest of the group, her face was uncovered. She couldn’t have been more than Abby’s age, with short, black hair and dark markings on her face. Her eyes held Abby’s a moment before she addressed Marcus. “You do not belong here, Sky People.”

“Please, don't hurt her,” Marcus began, his gaze shifting from the speaker to Abby and back. “We didn’t know anyone was here. We thought the earth was empty.”

The young woman’s head tilted to the side. She studied Marcus through narrowed, suspicious dark eyes. “And now you know it is not. Leave, now.”

“We just came for our supplies that were dropped from our ship,” Marcus explained, his eyes never leaving the leader of the group while he got to his feet slowly, his hands raised in front of him.  

“No one goes to the mountain. It is forbidden.”

“That may be, but those supplies don’t belong to you. So if you don’t mind, we’ll get them and  _ then  _ we’ll be gone,” Charles said, his tone low and malicious right before he got to his feet and took a few steps forward.  

_ What the hell is he doing? _ her mind screamed. Then, before she knew what was happening, the set of hands holding her, moved her back against their chest, a knife pressed against her throat and she gasped at the feel of the cold steel. 

Marcus took a step towards her, his hands still raised and called out, “Charles, stay where you are!” 

But it was too late. Charles was pushed to the ground. One of the men nearest placed his foot on his chest, right before he plunged his spear into his shoulder. Charles’ scream rang out, and Abby closed her eyes. 

Hands raised in the air, Marcus begged, “Please… we'll leave in peace. Let us go. Don't hurt her.”

Abby’s eyes sought out Marcus. She choked back a sob at the look of him. Blood from a cut lip, a gash above his eyebrow, the obvious pain he was in, the way his chest rose and fell in long breaths had her eyes filling with tears. She swallowed, feeling the cool steel against her throat. Fear coiled in her belly making her want to vomit, but she held Marcus’ eyes and somehow, the look in them was enough to keep her from wanting to collapse.

“Teik em go,” the woman finally said and Abby felt herself being shoved forward but not before the tip of the knife slid across her chin. She gasped and stumbled down onto her knees. In the next instant, Marcus was beside her. His hands on her arms only gentler, helping her to her feet. 

“We know there are more of you,” the woman told them while backing away, “Pack up your people and leave.”

“Where will we go?” Marcus asked, moving to stand in front of her, and she, in turn, took a step towards him. Her hands raising taking fist fulls of his jacket to keep him close. “We have no idea what's out there.” 

“That's  _ your  _ problem, Sky Person. You have a week to be gone from our land.”

Abby’s eyes widened. A week? It took them a day just to get up a mountain and-

“Are you the leader?” Marcus pressed, stepping forward, and Abby reached up grabbing his arms to keep him from taking another step. If he went and got himself killed or hurt she would never forgive him. “We can talk about this. Live together in peace until we can find a home for our people.”

The young woman sneered at them. “I am not the Commander, but I can tell you he has no interest in making peace with your people.” 

“Wait, if we could just talk to him about this…”

Abby tightened her grip on him. “Marcus, stop,” she said low enough so only he could hear her, or so she thought.

“Listen to her and go. Now.” The woman raised her hand in the air and cried out, “Taim na bants!”

Abby stepped closer to Marcus as they all followed the woman into the forest. She held her breath, her heart still racing, and only when they all had disappeared into the trees, did she release the breath she’d been holding. Marcus turned then, and she looked up at him. His dark eyes searched her eyes, her face and he raised his hand, tilting her chin up so he could see her cut. 

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She’d forgotten about it until just then. “I’m fine,” she told him, her words not more than a whisper, but she didn’t feel fine. She felt terrified. 

From behind her, Charles groaned. At that moment, her medical training kicked in and she turned away just in time as Diana called, “A little help over here?” 

* * *

The walk back to where they landed seemed to take less time than walking there but a hell of a lot more painful. They stopped very little, only a few hours to rest, and managed to make it back early the next morning. His side ached like never before, Abby wanted to have a look but there hadn’t been time. Just a bruise, he told her just after she patched up Charles shoulder the best she could. She hadn’t been happy, but he insisted they needed to get back to warn the others, and that seemed to do the trick. 

The sun was just coming up when they made it back. 

There were tents all over the place, most of the inhabitants still asleep. Except for a few kids who  looked as though they were placed on guard duty. 

Marcus nodded at them. “Where’s Jaha?”

One of the kids, a sandy blonde haired boy with a set frown, pointed across the camp at the dropship. “He’s working on the radio with the other leader nut job.” He paused his eyes looking them all over then asked, “What the hell happened to you guys?”

Marcus stared at the young man. “You’ll know soon enough.”

“Where’s the food?” the other kid asked. Marcus noted it was the same tall, dark-haired young man who spoke up before they left. 

“Bellamy Blake, right?”

“So?”

“I’ll be back to have a word with you later,” Marcus told him before walking past.

Making their way inside, Marcus spotted Jaha and Griffin in what looked like a spirited debate until their presence quieted them both.

“Marcus,” Thelonious began but whatever he would have said was drowned out.

Stalking over to them, Griffin pushed past him walking straight over her Abby and asked, “What the hell happened to her?”

He let out a tired sigh. The buffoon hadn’t cared to notice that they were all wounded, except for Diana, that is. 

Marcus looked at Abby, whose eyes widened at Griffin’s approach. “Jake, I'm fine...”

“Nice going, Kane. You couldn’t look out for her?”

Marcus stepped forward. The desire to knock his presumptuous ass to the floor took every last ounce of energy he possessed to overcome it. Instead, he held the man’s gaze, and let out a derisive scoff. “You have no idea what happened up there.”

“What happened to Abby wasn't Marcus’ fault,” Diana said, her arms crossed across her chest as she stepped between them. “In fact, we'd all be dead now if it wasn’t for him.”

“What do you mean?” The question came from Jaha who stepped towards them.

“We're not alone on the ground,” Marcus told them both but his words were meant for Jaha.

Thelonious dropped his arms to his sides. “What?” 

“It appears there were survivors. They believe we are on their lands. We have six days to leave,” Charles said, pressing his hand against his wound, looking pale. 

“And if we refuse?” Thelonious asked. 

Marcus held his stare, and stated simply, “I don’t think we can. However, the woman we spoke to mentioned someone called, the commander. If we found out who this commander is, and talk to them maybe…”

“We? This is your fault, Kane,” Jake accused. 

Marcus took a deep breath. His patience thin. “You have no idea what went on up there-”

“I know enough,” he spat back, “Abby got hurt, now we have to leave. If you hadn’t gone up there in the first place-”

“Griffin, you're out of line.”

“Ah, go float yourself,” Jake waved and turned away from him.

“Enough!” Diana yelled. “You’re both acting like idiots. If you could put aside your dick measuring for five minutes maybe we can figure out what we’re going to do.”

“We don’t need to measure,” Jake began with a smirk, “We know whose is bigger.”

“That’s it,” Abby said as she stepped in front of Marcus. “Obviously, we’re not getting anything done here. Jake get back to work on the radio,” she paused, turned to him and placed her hand on his chest, “Marcus, let it go.”

He gazed down, found her eyes boring into his. What that imbecile didn’t know or rather, didn’t care to understand was, that those moments when she had a knife against her neck, were the most frightening and most helpless moments Marcus had ever experienced. He would have given his life on the spot to prevent any harm from coming to her, was even going to suggest it right before they let her go. 

With a nod, he put his hand over hers and let out a breath, doing as she asked.  

There were a snort and a bark of a laugh from across the room. “Whatever, Walters. Good riddance.”

She didn’t look back, only pressed her hand into his chest. “Marcus, don’t.”

Her eyes held his. He knew what she was thinking and while he may have been tempted, he had more restraint and discipline than that mediocre engineer. His hand pulsed around hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze, then took it from his chest, keeping it in his as he dropped them between them. 

“How have things been here?” Marcus asked, addressing Thelonious who had been quietly observing them. 

“Good. The hundred have been cooperative, so far. There are a few who have disagreed but with a little more responsibility, seem to accept their positions here.” His gaze moved from his to beside him. “Abby, we set you up a tent next to the ship. There are a few wounded and you look like some of you could use the little supplies we have.”

“Thank you.” Abby turned and gave him one last glance before leaving. 

He watched her go, wishing he could take her aside and apologize for letting Griffin get under his skin, but knowing there were other things more pressing, pushed away those thoughts for the time being and said, “We need to get walls up around this place. Now that we know we’re not alone out here, until we decide what to do, we need a plan. Do you still have the coordinates for the bunker?”

“I do.” Thelonious nodded. “We can talk about how we plan to proceed but first, tell me what happened.”

He nodded and he, Diana, and Marcus went outside where he told him about the trip up, and how close they had gotten before they were surrounded. By the end, they were all of the opinion the people who had survived had been there for a while given their language and established sort of hierarchy. And they also agreed that packing up and leaving was out of the question. They had no idea of knowing where to go or whose lands they would end up in next. The logical course was to find the leader of these people and try and make some sort of peace, and in the meantime, protect the camp to the best of their abilities.

Which would mean another trip away from the ship to find the bunker believed to be filled with weapons. 

They were going to need to put together a team and Marcus had an idea just who to pick.

* * *

Abby blinked up at the top of her red tent and sighed. 

Her body craved sleep, and yet it was elusive. Her mind was a mess of thoughts and emotions that ranged from fear and worry, to anger and confusion. And most of them weren’t even from the terrifying event earlier that morning, though that was certainly a factor when it came to her fears, but from their time back at camp. From her position there as the only medic treating everything from scratches to stab wounds, her worry that Thelonious and Jake wouldn’t be able to fix the radio in time to save the people on the ship, and there mixed with all that, her feelings for Marcus.

The sound of the light rain hit the material of their tent with a soft, dull  _ tap, tap, tap _ . She would have thought it would have soothed her to sleep, but it was mixed with the sound of Diana’s snoring, and Cece’s constant annoyed huffs, and if all that wasn’t enough, the sound of someone’s deep and familiar voice from a tent over having a very good time with one of the first of the one hundred to throw herself at him. 

Apparently, she was quite easy to get over. Not that she minded. If she were really honest with herself, she stopped thinking about Jake in that way the moment Marcus approached her on the Ark. 

Because that moment had set them both apart in her mind far more than their other qualities. The ones beyond the obvious like, where Jake was open and carefree, Marcus was private and reserved, and where Jake looked at her with a boyish playfulness, Marcus looked at her with wonder. But those qualities, while they each had their own merits, in the end, it had been simple. To Jake, she had been a prize to be won, but to Marcus, she had been so much more. 

Someone worth waiting for.

And it was that realization alone in the hall on the Ark, and every time since, that whenever he touched her, she felt precious and desired all at once. Jake never made her heart pound the way Marcus did, never made her crave his touch more than anything else, and most importantly, never made her want to risk everything to be with him.

Before, she considered the idea of something more with Jake because she never really thought she and Marcus could have something as simple as a friendship let alone something more intimate. All because he’d been too afraid to approach her, because he thought he’d have time to work up the nerve...

The idiot.

But all that was different now.

Callie huffed again and turned on her side away from Diana. Her jacket that had once been her pillow, was now over her head, and her arm draped over that to keep out the noise. 

Call her pathetic but despite being back in camp, despite the noises going on around her, and the feeling of comfort of her best friend sleeping beside her, she didn’t feel comfortable enough to close her eyes and let herself fall into the deep sleep that she wanted. And it was that feeling that had her taking her blanket and getting to her feet. 

“Where are you going, darling?”

Abby turned back, her voice low in her reply, “I can’t sleep.”

Callie raised herself up on her elbows. “If you’ve got somewhere else to sleep I want in on that.”

Abby opened her mouth but closed it. She had a destination in mind, but if he sent her away there was still a possibility she might return and she didn’t want to explain why she would be going to his tent. Though… she highly doubted he would send either of them away or that Callie wouldn’t support her. 

Still, maybe she’d tell Callie about him tomorrow. “Just… for a walk.”

Her friend was quiet a moment before she said, “Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” she told her, “try and get some sleep.”

She hated lying to her best friend, but she’d live with it for now. There would be time for confessions later, right now she just wanted sleep. His tent wasn’t a big one like theirs, but a smaller one over with the team of kids who were going to start training as guard members. 

There were few still awake. A few kids hovered over a fire talking lowly, who paid little attention to her. 

The sound of the material of his tent crinkling in her hand had his still form on the ground rising up on his elbow quickly. “Can I sleep in here?”

With what little light that was provided by the fire and the overhead moon, she saw his shoulders relax slightly when he realized it was her. “What?”

His voice was rough and sleep-filled, and she felt slightly guilty that she woke him but not guilty enough to go back.

“I’m sharing a tent next to Jake and Jaha’s and well Jake has someone in there with him and they’re not exactly being quiet. Callie’s huffing because Diana can sleep through anything and well, you’ve heard her snore.”

He chuckled and rubbed a hand over his face. “Oh.”

“So can I or should I go?”

She heard him sigh right before he scooted over and lifted the edge of his blanket. “Just get over here.”

The flap of the tent fell closed behind her. The blanket in her hand, she draped over the top of his. In the time that it took for her to walk from the other tent to his was enough for the chill from the morning to take all the warmth she had from before.

She lied down next to him, feeling the heat from his body and the extra blanket and she curled into the welcoming of it all. 

Finally, her mind began to quiet because there, in his tent, having him next to her was all that she needed. 

* * *

When he woke and heard her voice, for a second he thought he had been dreaming, so when she lied down with him and said, “Don’t think of any funny business,” he couldn’t help but silently laugh to himself. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he told her then paused, pursing his lips together as heat rose up his neck. His thoughts of what his dreams might entail betraying him, making him thankful for the dark and that she was facing away from him. “All right, I might  _ dream  _ of it,” he confessed.

His words thankfully, made her giggle and after the day they had, the sound was the best thing he could have ever heard, but unfortunately, it didn’t save him from being elbowed. “Shut up, Kane.”

He groaned the moment her arm made contact with his side, and he heard her gasp as she rose up on her arm, turning towards him.

“Marcus,” she said as she started to sit up. “I'm sorry, I forgot... let me see.” 

He raised his hand to stop her. His side was killing him, but the pain wasn’t bad enough to warrant an inspection, as long as he lied on his side and she kept her elbows to herself.  “Abby, I'm fine.”

“You're not,” she whispered, her voice insistent. 

She pushed the blanket aside and reached for his shirt but not before he took her wrist. 

Her hair was down, falling loosely around her shoulders, and it struck him then, that it was one of the few times he’d seen it down and not in a braid or pulled back in some fashion since they were kids. “You can't see anything in here,” he told her, trying to keep his mind from thoughts of wanting to run his fingers through it.

“No, but I can  _ feel _ ,” she said, making him swallow at the very idea of her hands on him. “You could have a broken rib-”

“Abby, I'm fine-”

“Marcus, you’re not  _ fine _ ,” she interrupted, doing nothing to conceal her exasperation, “And I'm not letting either of us get any sleep until you let me take a look.”

He could barely make out her face in the darkness of the tent, but he knew that tone of hers and he had no doubt she'd carry through with her threat.

With a sigh, he released her wrist. 

“Thank you,” she said.

Marcus couldn't look at her as she lifted his shirt, so he stared at the top of the tent, tried to concentrate on the sound of the rain, on the rise and fall of his chest as he took deep even breaths, anything and everything as long as it kept him from thinking about how soft her hand was on his skin, how the feel of her caress sent a shiver down his spine, how his heart pounded so hard in his chest he was sure it could be heard over the soft pitter patter of rain and their breaths. 

Just when he thought he wasn’t going to be able to swallow back a moan, she pressed down in just the right spot and pain exploded up his side and through his chest stealing any feelings of pleasure from him. He hissed and swore into the quiet of the night. 

Abby moved her hand away, and he didn't know if he was more relieved or disappointed by the loss of her touch. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, softly. “It's definitely bruised, sprained maybe, but not broken. In the morning I want to wrap you just to be sure.”

He let out a breath and ran a hand over his face. “Fine. Now can we go to sleep?”

“Yes,” she said, sighing herself before lying back down facing away from him. “You should have told me you were in pain.”

“Then you would have insisted I rested...”

“Which you need to do.”

“Which is what I’m  _ trying  _ to do. Stop being so difficult and go to sleep,” he mumbled, turned his head and closed his eyes, his nose brushing against her hair. 

She let out a disbelieving scoff. “Oh, I’m difficult? You should talk.”

“ _ We _ should talk,” he countered.

She sighed. “I can’t yet, Marcus.”

“I know.” He knew and he understood. As much as he wanted what was between them to be more definable, he was more than happy to go along at the pace that she set. Without thinking, he kissed the back of her head, but decided since it hadn’t earned him another elbow to the ribs he wouldn’t over think it, and whispered,  “Go to sleep.”

“Marcus, will you…”

“What?” 

“Will you…” she trailed off once again, and he opened his mouth to tell her she could ask him anything but her next words had his heart feeling like it stopped altogether. “Will you put your arm around me?”

Held. She was asking to be held by him, and God help him he wasn't about to refuse such a request.

Lifting his arm, he just barely heard her intake of breath as he wrapped his arm around her. He'd never slept with a woman before. Never so much as held someone. And he made sure his arm stayed a respectable distance from either region. At least, he hoped it had. 

“Is this okay?”

“Yes,” she whispered. They lay there for a while and he had just closed his eyes when she asked, “We're going to be okay, right?”

His arm tightened around her, his voice strong and as sure for her as he could make it when he said, “We will. We'll find a way through this.”

“I believe you.” And there was something in the way she said it that made him feel like she really did believe him.

He closed his eyes, more content than he ever felt, then a thought struck him. “Abby, I just need to know one thing.” 

She turned back toward him. “What?”

“Please tell me you weren't actually attracted to that idiot?”

She made a noise much like a sigh and turned away from him but he felt her chest vibrate against his chest with her silent laughter. When she didn’t respond, he closed his eyes but then her arm fell over the top of his, and she told him, “Whatever I thought before doesn't matter now does it?”

He swallowed. “You tell me,” he said his tone low, uncertain. 

He felt her fingertips open and splay against the back of his hand. And if the sensation didn’t make his eyes close and his chest tight, her next words surely did.

“No, it doesn’t,” she replied. A yawn and then, “I'm so tired.”

“Sleep, Abby,” he said,  and he drifted off with his arm snugly around her.


	4. Chapter 4

“So what are you and Marcus Kane a thing now?” Callie asked as she got to her feet where they’d been working inside the medical tent.

Abby had been counting and organizing the supplies sent down with them and let out a light chuckle without looking up from her work. “Pardon?”

“I know you've been sneaking out of our tent at night,” Callie said. Abby looked up at that and felt her stomach sink. But her friend's eyes held none of the judgment she expected to see. “It's fine if you are, I just never pictured you two, you know, together.”

Abby’s brow furrowed. Sure she may have mentioned how much of an ass Marcus could be over the years and maybe once or twice she might have complained to Callie that his arrogance rivaled Nigel’s but that didn’t mean she hated him. “Why?” 

“Really, Abby?” It was Callie’s turn to laugh. “I’m your best friend. I think I know your type.”

Not her type meaning someone who constantly aggravated her off. Abby gave a little shrug. “He's different than we thought.”

“So,” Callie said, drawing out the word until Abby looked over at her. “Are you going to tell me about it?”

Abby looked away again feeling her face begin to heat from her neck to her cheeks. “About what?”

Callie sighed a long disappointed sigh. “How long has this been going on between you? Is it serious? Is he good in bed?  _ Details _ , Abby.”

“We haven’t… we haven’t slept together.” At her friend’s incredulous look and raised eyebrows, she clarified, “We  _ sleep  _ together.”

Callie frowned at her. Clearly, she had been expecting to hear about how Marcus was some sort of sex God like she had made out Owen from Farm Station to be. Callie had given her so much detail about their time together Abby couldn’t look at him for weeks. “How boring. Has he kissed you?”

“Actually  _ I _ kissed him,” she told her feeling proud of something for once.

Callie’s face lit up and she reached out and grabbed her arm. “Damn it, girl when?”

Abby turned, trying and failing to fight a smile. So alright, maybe she did want to talk about it. “The night before we left. He caught me on my way back from the meeting. He told me he was coming down here and asked me to come with him.”

“So Marcus was the reason you left.” 

“It wasn’t just him,” she tried to defend.

“Oh, come on, you know it is. Chancellor Nester, Doctor Kells, Thelonious, Jake… hell, even I couldn’t get you to volunteer. How’d he change your mind?”

“It was my mother if you must know. All right and Marcus too, but mostly her.”

Callie leaned against the small makeshift tale and crossed her arms. “I’m all ears.”

She let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know how to explain it. There’s just something about Marcus.” She thought of all the looks they shared, all the conversations, all the arguments. Thought of the way he looked at her while he poured his heart out to her. “You’re going to laugh.”

“I’m not going to laugh, I’m your best friend. Tell me.”

“He makes me feel like I’m the only thing that matters to him. Not like I’m some kind of conquest. Marcus cares about me. Really cares and I care about him too.”

There was silence between them then finally, Callie replied, “Well I can tell you he looks at you like you’re the damn sun.” Callie’s nose wrinkled. “It’s a little disconcerting, thinking of him with a heart.”

“He does have a heart. A big heart. A kind heart.”

Callie waggled her eyebrows. The look on her face mischievous. “I bet that’s not the only and big thing about the guy.”

Abby covered her face with her hands. She could talk to Callie about how she felt about Marcus, but imagining his… imagining him… no. That was something she only recently started thinking about and even alone in the dark when she allowed those thoughts to come she blushed madly. She wasn’t exactly a prude, she was just as anxious to as experienced as Callie but until then...

“Oh my God, Callie, don’t-”

“Come on, Abby,” Callie came up beside her and nudged her elbow into her side. “You had to have thought about it. He may be an ass, but he’s an attractive ass. At least tell me if he’s a good kisser.”

“Judging from the one time we kissed and the limited experience I’ve had,” she began while smirking at her friend whose eyes glinted. No doubt she too was remembering the time they talked about the one kiss she shared with Jake and how she told Callie she thought he was trying to drown her. “Yes, he’s a good kisser.”

Such a good kisser. 

Callie grinned. 

“Abby-” They both turned and Abby felt herself blush as the very man in question stood there just inside the tent. He swallowed, his eyes sweeping from her to Callie then back. “Oh, sorry. Should I come back?”

The question was directed at her, but it was Callie who answered. “No, no, you're fine. I need to get going anyway. Nice seeing you, Kane.”

Abby went back to work, or at least she tried to. Marcus’ amused tone had her attention drifting back to him. “What was that look about?”

She could only imagine he had meant Callie. Her friend had probably walked out as smug as could be knowing the things that she did. Abby was half surprised she hadn’t heard her clap Marcus on the back. “She knows about where I've been sleeping.” 

“Oh.” He chuckled that rich chuckle that made her belly flutter. “That's not really that much of a secret.”

“To your band of troops maybe, but to our friends, it is.”

He didn’t look convinced. “If you say so.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What's that?”

“What?” he asked.

Raising her hand, she pointed at him. “That look. Like you don't think so.”

“These are kids. They talk.” He shrugged like it wasn’t anything he was worried about and then closed the distance between them until he stood only inches from her. “That's all I'm saying,” he said, his voice low and gentle, then reached up and brushes a piece of hair away from her forehead that had escaped her ponytail. She shivered at the touch but if he noticed he didn’t say anything about it. “Speaking of which, we're all set so we're going.”

She nodded. “Alright.”

“Do you still have it?”

She wanted to roll her eyes but settled for frowning at him. “Yes, Marcus, I still have the knife, though I don't think it'll be necessary.” 

“Be that as it may,” he began, his voice serious, “I'd still feel better knowing that you have it. You can still sleep in my tent while I'm gone.”

She blinked at him. As if she’d sleep anywhere else. Not with Diana’s snoring. “I had planned on it.” 

The resolve in her voice made him smile. “Okay, good.”

He let out a sigh, and she knew it was time for him to go, but before she let him leave she reached up and grabbed one of the sides of his unzipped jacket. “You'll be careful?”

“As careful as I can.”

“Try to come back uninjured,” she told him hating that she was staying behind. “That bruise is just now starting to fade.”

“I'll try.” He took her hand and raised the back of it to his lips then whispered, “Goodbye, Abby.”

He dropped her hand and turned to go. Her top teeth sank into her bottom lip. Something about letting him leave like that felt wrong. 

“Marcus.” Going over to him, she leaned up on the tips of her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek. She started to draw away, but his forehead fell gently against hers and they stayed there like that. “See you tomorrow.” 

* * *

“So, you and Abigail, huh?”

Marcus looked over at Thelonious walking beside him. He’d wondered when his friend was going to start in on his and Abby’s relationship. “You know she hates it when anyone besides her mother calls her that.”

“As one of her good friends, I do.” Thelonious raised a dark brow. “What surprises me is that you do. But then, not so surprised given how close you two seemed to have become.” 

“We are closer,” he commented it but left it at that. His relationship with Abby wasn’t up for discussion, no matter how good of friends she and Thelonious were or even he and Thelonious for that matter.

“That's it?” His friend came to a stop. “She leaves your tent in the morning, and that’s all you're giving me?”

Marcus stopped too and took a drink of the water from the canteen Abby had given him. “That's all I have to say on the subject.”

“Why the secrecy?”

“It’s not a secret.”

“Then why not come out with it? Are you ashamed?

“I'm not ashamed of Abby. She wants to take things slow and keep things between us. And until she's ready, that's the way things are going to be.”

“Do you love her?”

Marcus gave his friend one thing; he didn’t give up easily. 

Even though he wasn’t about to answer the question his friend already knew, his lips tugged up into a half-crooked smile. “I don’t think I need to tell you the answer to that.”

Jaha opened his mouth to say something more, but at that moment his name was called.

“Hey, Kane! We found it.”

Marcus turned and smiled at the boy named Bellamy. “Great job.” They all made their way down into the bunker and when they reached what he believed to be the first floor came to a stop. “All right, we’ll go in two teams. Murphy, take your team with Jaha, Bellamy, your team’s with me. Be careful, look around.”

The tomb was dark and damp and smelled of stale air. There were signs of life. A child’s toy. Blankets. Cans of food. They all littered the floor here and there as they went; however, their once owners gone. Abandoned just as the bunker. 

Bellamy must have been of the same mindset because his voice beside him observed, “Looks like people were here before.”

“Could be how some of the humans here survived and are on the ground now.” Marcus nodded, thoughtfully. “If we can't get the people to make peace, we might think about retreating somewhere like here for the time being.”

Bellamy smirked. “It'd be a smart move since the Grounders don't have guns.” 

He raised a brow. “Grounders?”

The younger boy grinned, though his cheeks reddened. “That's what we're calling them, yeah.”

“It works.”

“Hey, guys have a look at this,” called another voice down the hall. 

Marcus shared a look with Bellamy before jogging toward the voice. When he reached it, he found Miller standing beside a barrel. The boy had a thing for dramatic flair because the smirked before opening the lid. 

Marcus looked inside, his mouth falling open slightly at the sight. 

It was full of guns.

Looking up, he told them, “I'd say this just up our odds surviving this stand of ours.”

* * *

Abby wasn’t surprised when she went into the dropship later that afternoon she found Jake there. What she didn’t expect to find was him making out with a girl right next to the radio he was supposed to be fixing. 

She cleared her throat, annoyed. She didn’t care if it bothered either of them to be interrupted. He was the only one who could get the radio fixed. Her mother, their people's lives depended on it. The couple broke apart and the girl giggled while Jake just looked at her like she needed to say what she needed to say so he could get back to the girl on his lap.

“How's the radio coming?” she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

Jake whispered something in the blonde’s ear and after a pout got to her feet. Jake waited until the girl was gone before he replied, “Nice you see you too, Walters.”

She let out a breath. What had she seen in him again? There was no use goading him or letting him think she was bothered by what she walked in on. He would just use it against her. Instead, she gave him a friendly smile and asked, “How are you, Jake?”

He grinned at her. It was the kind of the cocky grin he liked to give her back before they all came to the ground. Before she realized her feelings for Marcus. “I'm fine. Good as can be.”

Some of the friendliness fell away from her tone. “Good to hear.”

“How's Kane?” She didn’t miss the bitterness in his tone.

They couldn’t keep doing this. They were the only adults, more less on the ground. They needed to put all this aside on concentrate on getting the others here on the ground too. It was time for the conversation she would rather avoid. “Are we really going to do this, Jake? We went out once.”

“And I thought it went good. Really good.” 

“It did,” she admitted. It was silly to ignore that she had been attracted to him and had enjoyed their date, for the most part, but now that was over. “And maybe had things been different we would have gone out again but things have changed.”

Jake scowled. “Changed in Kane's favor, you mean”

“Yes, they have.” He turned away from her, and she held out her arms. “I don't know what you want me to say.”

Taking a seat back at the small table he looked over at her and smiled. “Nothing. I've already moved on too.”

“Good,” she replied. “Well, I hope you figure that out. We have a lot of people counting on us.”

Another snort. “You don’t have to tell me that. If you’re going to worry about anyone go worry about your boyfriend. He’s the one who’s going to end up getting himself killed out there acting like some kind of hero.”

Abby turned and left. He was such a child.

* * *

His tent came into sight and he let out a long breath. They’d spent hours working and even more, hours walking. His back, he was embarrassed to admit hurt like hell. Training on the Ark might have prepared him for many things but the exertion they would really be faced with was nothing like they trained for in space. 

But the sight that greeted him somehow made him forget all about his sore back and his weariness. 

Her head lifted from their small bed and she blinked at him. “You're back already?”

The sleepy rasp of her voice made him smile. “We found what we were looking for.” 

She sat up just as he sat down to remove his jacket and boots. “Was it abandoned?”

“It was, but it’s not in the best shape, but it might be our best option for now. Charles thinks we've only got another month before the temperature starts to drop significantly. Were going to want to be inside some kind of shelter sooner rather than later.”

“It's already cold,” she said rubbing her arms. 

“Do you want my jacket?” he offered, holding it out to her.

But she shook her head and said, “No, I'm fine.” 

She scoot over for him, and he lied down next to her. Her head fell onto his arm as he spooned up behind her, already accustomed to having it there. “How’s this?”

She hummed. “Better.”

“Good.” he pressed a kiss to the back of her head before saying through a yawn, “Thelonious asked about what was going on between us today.”

“Oh?”

He closed his eyes trying not to think about the way her hand was caressing up and down his forearm. “I didn’t tell him anything. I just thought you’d want to know we’re not exactly as subtle as we think we are.”

“I did go and move into your tent, didn’t I?”

A chuckle left him and he lifted his head. “Yes, I see you brought in all your things. Been busy while I was gone.”

“Do you… mind?”

He let his head fall back down and tighten his hold on her. “Not at all.”

“Jake asked me about us, too.”

Of course, he did. He would wait until he was gone to approach her. “Oh? And what did you tell him?”

“What he already knew.” He felt her press against him so he moved back so she could turn on her back. There was just enough light from the fire still burning brightly just outside their tent he could see her face. Her voice was low and serious when she continued. “I told him my future was with you. If that’s what you still want?”

“I don’t know how you think I would ever change my mind.” He paused, his eyes slipping from hers to her lips. His tongue came out to wet his own, and she mirrored him. Their last kiss happened so fast and so suddenly he hadn’t had the chance to savor it. Though his mind replayed it over and over again, he wanted to feel her lips against his again. To have her there with him, her dark eyes looking up into his, God, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. “Abby, can I-”

He didn’t finish. Slow. She wanted to go slow, he reminded himself.

But to his surprise she lifted her hand, let her fingers trail through his soft dark hair a moment before whispering, “Please, Marcus.”

He lowered his face and she let out the sweetest little gasp just before their lips met. Her hand clutched in his hair almost as though she was afraid he’d move away from her. 

But he wasn’t going anywhere. 


	5. Chapter 5

Two weeks had passed and in that time there had only been one grounder attack. It had been on a group hunting not far from camp. Charles had spotted them first. They seemed to have been following them, but staying at a distance. He called for them all to fall back to camp, and there had been a moment when Marcus was sure they were going to be able to part ways with the grounders peacefully, but then a boy named, Murphy smarted off and started towards them. All hell had broken loose then. Two had only minor injuries, while Murphy nearly fatally. Thankfully they’d managed to get him back to camp in time for Abby to save him. He had seethed at the group when they returned. 

The idiot was lucky they had such an experienced medic with him. Abby had told him another inch, and she wouldn’t have been able to save him. 

The next morning was cold and damp. His breath came out in great white clouds in front of him as he made his way over to the medical tent where Abby had spent the night to keep watch over her patient. He was just coming back from a meeting with Jaha and some of the others. The decision had been made to move inside the bunker as soon as they could. He would be taking a team out to clear out some of the mess and make things as habitable as they could. 

A recent trip back they had discovered a new entry that led them into another hidden part of the shelter. There were three floors. The bottom flooded and of no use, but the middle and top floor, provided them with rooms with bunks that would be shared four to each. Also storages that were filled with blankets and clothes and facilities that with the assistance of Charles and the kids, they could have running water given a bit of time. 

But for now, the shelter would protect them from the elements and the imminent grounder threat until they could figure out peaceful negotiations.  

Marcus fought a smile thinking back to when he’d described the place to Abby.  

_ “What do you think?” _

_ Abby had wrinkled her nose. “It sounds like it needs work.” _

_ “That’s because it does.” _

_ “But there are beds?” _

_ He felt heat rise in his face and busied himself with studying the blueprints he and Jaha had drawn up. “There are. Just enough for us all. Though, a few might need to pair up or make due with the floor.” _

_ “Are you going to be asking for volunteers for these pair ups?” _

_ Suddenly she was beside him with a playful look in her eyes. He cleared his throat. “It hasn’t been announced as of yet. But there was a discussion about segregating. The first floor would be for the men and the second for the women.” _

_ Her low uncharacteristic giggle brought his eyes over to meet hers. “You really think that’s necessary?” _

_ “You’re the medic, you tell me?” _

_ She had been thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. “I do think it’s smart for the younger kids, but let’s not pretend we don’t all know what goes on around here at night. I know you woke up the other night from the same sounds I heard.” _

_ On to her teasing, he tossed the pencil on the table. Crossing his arms, he feigned innocence. “I’m unaware of any sort of sounds? I think you’re imagining things.” _

_ “Imagining?” _

_ “Or dreaming,” he murmured then lowered his head and kissed her just below her ear where he had discovered to be sensitive. _

_ Her hands came up to clutch his shoulders before pushing him away enough to look up at him. “Does this segregation include the leaders?” _

_ “Like I said, it’s still up for debate.” _

_ He kissed her then and for the next few minutes, he was lost in the newness of their deepening relationship. Eventually, much to his chagrin, Abby pulled herself away to check up on her moaning patient. Telling her he'd see her later, took the blueprints back for him, Charles and Jaha to go over.    _ __

Entering the medical tent, he found Abby crouching beside a no longer smirking Murphy. The young man was pale and sweating, looking away at the back of the tent while Abby changed the bandage on his side.

She looked up just as he stepped fully inside. He waited quietly while she finished up, and moved over to meet her halfway when she came over to him. 

“How’s he doing,” he asked with a nod in Murphy’s direction. 

“Other than some food and an attitude adjustment, he’s fine.” Marcus heard the young man scoff but ignored him, focusing his attention on Abby’s dark brown gaze.  “Be careful.”

“Always am.”

“Except for when you’re not and someone gets hurt.”

He took a deep breath through his nose. “Except for when adolescents make decisions that end up putting themselves and their team in harm's way.”

“What team,” Murphy muttered a bitterness to his tone Marcus thought unfounded and annoying. 

“I thought you might want to know, Jake’s managed to pick up a signal. He might have a connection with the Ark soon.”

“Shouldn’t you hold off going in case he does?”

“No, I want to get us moved. So we can be safe. If he establishes a connection, we should have steady communication.” He paused and swallowed. “But if you get the chance to speak with anyone…”

“I’ll ask about her.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

Abby made her way swiftly towards the dropship. The young girl, Octavia had come by the tent, not ten minutes before telling her they got the radio fixed. 

Diana was standing near the entrance. Abby’s brow furrowed. The blonde looked almost as if she was standing guard. 

“Is it true?” Abby asked. 

“It is.” Diana glanced back behind her. “Jaha’s talking with his father right now.”

She didn’t know why, but she felt so relieved at the news. Jaha talking with his father meant they were all still alive. Which of course they were. But life on the Ark had become one catastrophe after the next as of late. “Oh, I’m so glad.”

“Are you?”

“We all have people up there we care about, Diana.”

“Sure, but I’d have thought you had given up on Jake.”

Not rising to the bait, Abby said, “Jake is a skilled engineer.”

“He is very  _ skilled _ .”

Abby only barely contained her eye roll. Thankfully, the voice of her friend saved Diana from her sarcastic retort. 

“Hey, Abby. Diana. I heard Jake got the radio fixed?”

“That’s right. I’m going to go inside.” She smiled widely at Diana. “Excuse me.”

Diana stepped aside. 

“What was all that about?” Callie asked once they were inside.

“Diana’s trying to get under my skin by insinuating she and Jake had a fling.”

“Who hasn’t she had a fling with?”

Abby laughed. “I really don’t care. After the way they both have been acting down here, they deserve one another.”

“You’re telling me. Lots of people have been showing their true colors down here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” Callie smiles at her but Abby could tell it was forced. “We’ll talk about it later.”

She and Callie waited patiently to speak to their parents. Abby was the last of their group thought she wasn’t surprised. It was a long walk from her mothers quarters to communication. Tears burned thinking about how alone she left her. Was she burdened by everything? Marcus likes to comfort her telling her her mother had many friends including his mother who wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He was right. She knew he was right. Still, being away…

“Abby,” Thelonious said.

She got to her feet and made her way over to the seat he vacated. 

“Mom.”

“Abigail, there you are, honey.”

Tears fell down her cheeks. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, my darling, don’t worry about me, tell me about you? Are you safe?”

“As safe as we can be. We found a shelter. Marcus and some of the others are out there right now making it safe for us to move into. It gets cold, but we’re all fine.”

“Oh, I’m so glad. Vera tells me they’re making plans for us to come down. Hopefully, we’ll see each other soon.”

“I hope so. How are you, though? You’re doing okay?”

“I’m fine.” I go for walks with Mrs. Abbott, and Vera is here. She doesn’t go a day without stopping by.” There was a voice in the background that had her mother turning towards it. “They’re telling me it’s time.”

She didn’t want her to go, but she knew their time was precious and wasn’t the only one who had been waiting to reconnect with their families. The kids still wanted their own turn. “Mom, can you tell Vera Marcus sends his love and that he’s okay.”

“I will. Take care of each other.”

“We are. I love you.”

“I love you too, honey.”

Abby watched her mom move away from the screen, Nester helping her to her feet and escorting her to a door with a steady hand on her arm. There was someone waiting who took his place, Hannah Green if she wasn’t mistaken. She wiped a tear from her cheek and got to her feet, letting Callie take her place so she could talk with her parents. 

Outside she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She’d been worried her absence had taken a toll on her mother but she was relieved how well she was doing. Hannah promised to look in on her mother, and it warmed her that she kept her word. With a renewed sense of determination, she made her way back to medical where she would start to pack things up. She would need to prepare for the rest of their people and any incoming medical needs they may have.

* * *

When his team returned Abby found him first and after explaining about the radio, she took him to meet with the rest of the leaders in the dropship.

What he discovered waiting for him had his jaw clenching in irritation. Just in the span of a few hours, Jaha and the others had already made plans to move forward.

“ETA for the rest of our people is two months. They’ll give us time to set up a base and establish good communication with the grounder leader. Hopefully a truce.”

Marcus shook his head. Two months? Was that even enough time? If they hadn’t had weapons, they’d all have been murdered by now. “You think that’s possible?”

“We’ve been ordered to make it happen. Jake and I have decided that he and I will be the first to try. We will go unarmed as a testament of goodwill and faith.”

Abby scoffed from beside him. “You can’t be serious. You both can’t go alone.”

“Afraid we’ll show up your boyfriend Kane?”

Abby gave the idiot a look Marcus knew well as withering, and he answered before she could reply. “That would mean you’d have to come back alive. This mission is suicide.”

Jake grinned at him. “Maybe for you-.”

“Can we not start this again?” Jaha started sounding tired of his friend’s antics. Jake gazed over, looking not sorry at all but held up his hands. “Thank you,” Jaha said after a moment. “Once we get all the kids in the shelter we’ll move out. Charles and some of the others have been out scouting these last few weeks and we think we have a good idea the direction of grounder camp.”

“And when you get there?” Marcus asked, incredulously. This was a joke. They were going to themselves killed.

“We will ask for an audience with their leader,” Jaha said as if it were as simple as formal introductions. 

“Are you sure about this?” Diana asked liking worried.

Jaha looked at each one of them before answering. “No, but we have to try.”

Marcus looked over and found Abby gazing at him. He could tell she was thinking the same as him. This plan of Jaha’s wasn’t going to work. The only thing going to the grounder camp was going to do was get them killed. 

* * *

Abby stared into the fire as it crackled and popped waiting for Marcus to finish checking with the night guard before he joined her. Their meeting had been intense, to say the least. There were a lot more trust issues between many of them than she had previously thought. A lot of animosities that should have been taken care of before they even left for this mission. Marcus had made a point that they didn’t need to be friends, however, they did need to work together as a team if they were going to get through this. 

Jake had agreed but there was something, a look in Jake's eyes that made her think that was going to be easier said than done. 

“God, could that have gone any worse. I thought all the men would start measuring before it was all over.”

Abby chuckled at her friend who took a seat beside her. “So did I. Marcus and Charles know a bit more than Jake and Thelonious. They didn’t experience what we did. Marcus has been trying to tell them but Thelonious is like his father. He thinks if he talks reasonably at someone he can change the way they think.”

“Is Marcus going with them?”

“No. Thelonious wants him to stay in camp, in case something happens.”

“At least he’s being somewhat realistic. So, how are things between you two?” she asked, effectively changing the subject.

Abby didn’t need to ask to know her friend was not talking about Thelonious. “They’re good,” she replied and then remembered from earlier that had struck her. “What did you mean before? About true colors?”

Callie sighed. “I haven’t told you, but Charles and I have been seeing each other... or we were.” 

This was new.

“What happened?” 

“He says he doesn’t have time for a relationship. Not on the ground anyway. It’s an unnecessary burden he doesn’t want to deal with at the moment.”

“Callie, I’m sorry.”

Her friend gave a noncommittal shrug. “It’s for the best.”

Abby let out a soft sigh.  If one person deserved to be happy it was her friend. But then, she always seemed to be going after the ones who would break her heart. But there was one Abby had been so sure of. Abby bumped her shoulder against Callie’s playfully. “I always thought you had a thing for Sarah Young.”

The smile Callie gave her was slow to spread. “That was years and years ago. Besides, she’s not down here.”

“No, but she will be.”

“Am I interrupting, ladies?”

Abby looked up to see Marcus standing with two portions of meat of top of leaves used as plates. 

“Not at all.” Callie slid over and pat the space between them. “Have a seat Kane.”

“Thank you.” He sat and handed Abby her share. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” She discovered eating the food was much easier if she didn’t see it being cooked. His  _ you’re welcome  _ came out as a soft murmur and she was pleasantly surprised when he leaned over and kissed her. 

“Whoa,” Callie said, making Abby hide her smile behind her hand while her friend elbowed Marcus in his side. “Public displays of affection? Didn’t think you had it in you, Kane.”

He blinked over at her. “I’m not on duty right now.”

She and Callie shared smiles. “Right. Okay, well, I’m going to go try and sleep before Diana goes to bed. I’ve learned if I fall asleep before she gets there I can sleep through it. Good night you two.”

“Good night,” Abby called after her followed by Marcus’ own, “Night.”

They both ate silently until they were done then he took the leaves and tossed them into the fire.

“She alright?” he asked gesturing with a tilt of his chin in the direction Callie departed. 

“You care?” At his frown, she corrected, “I mean, you want to know?”

Marcus wasn’t really the getting involved with other people’s problems kind of guy. 

“She’s your friend and I care about you so I suppose I do.”

She stared at him. Her heart warming for this deep, amazing good-hearted man. Just when she thought she had him figured out. “That’s sweet of you but it’s relationship stuff and I really don’t think any of it would interest you.”

“Not really, no. But I’m willing to listen if you want to talk about it.” His smile was one of those ones that made butterflies erupt low in her belly. She must have been staring at him for quite some time because he smiled and asked, “What?”

“Nothing. I just,” she paused, bringing her hand up, she slid her hand through his soft dark locks and pulled him down to her, pressing her lips to his. Their kiss was slow and tender and went on for quite some time before she pulled away and told him, “You’re wonderful.”

He looked down between them, hiding a shy, crooked smile. “I don’t know about that, but I’ll take it.”

She leaned in close to his ear for only him to hear, and whispered, “How about we go and take our public displays of affection back to our tent?”

She watched in delight as he smiled a full bright smile then taking her hand, said, “Lead the way.”

* * *

Marcus wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Not that he ever saw a horse, except in pictures and old vids from earth before, but it was an expression his father was fond of when he found himself in a lucky situation. And if there ever was one, now with Abby’s hands under his shirt and her lower half pressing up into his while she kissed him like the world was about to end, this was it.

But something about her urgency gave him pause. To talk about what they were doing before there was no going back. 

With great reluctance, he drew away from this kiss, and between heavy breaths, he told her, “Abby, we need to slow down.”

She looked up at him, a soft pout forming on her lips. “I don’t want to stop.”

He blinked down at her. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? “Abby, I don’t think-”

“Marcus, there are people out there in the woods who want to kill us. Our people on the Ark are coming to the ground. My mother,  _ your _ mother. I’m tired of thinking.”

A light chuckle left him and he kissed her softly. “I know, so am I but it’s okay if we wait.”

“Maybe if we were on the Ark we could take our time but here...”

He pressed his brow against hers. “I understand, but Abby,” he sighed, then asked the question he was sure he knew the answer to, “have you done this before?”

“I,” she began, her eyes gazed away shyly, “no.”

He thought as much. Not that he had much experience himself.  “Abby, I don’t want you to ever regret this.”

Her brow furrowed. “I won’t regret it. It doesn’t matter where it happens, only that it’s with you.”

“Abby-”

“I love you, too Marcus.” Her words brought any protest he’d been about to say to a halt. Her soft brown eyes looked up into his, and he couldn’t look away. “I have since eighth grade. When you stood up to  Spencer  Price when he called me a know-it-all. When you danced with me at the Unity Days dance because no one else asked me, and I know your mom made you but you did it anyway even though the boys made fun of you. When you brought that little girl to medical who sprained her ankle and refused to be held by anyone but you until her parents arrived. I’ve loved you all this time, but I never thought for a second it was returned.”

“Abby.”

“Can you ever forgive me?.”

“Abby,” he swallowed then lowered his head took her lips with his, his throat too tight to speak for many moments. He pulled away when he was sure his voice wouldn’t crack. “There’s nothing to forgive. I love you so much.”

“Good. I’m glad that’s settled because I’m tired of waiting. We have this moment, and I don’t want to waste it.”

He studied her face for any sign of doubt, but there was none. Only love. “If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

And with that, for the next little while, they did nothing but kiss until the sweetness gave way to something more passionate and they took advantage of every moment offered to them.


	6. Chapter 6

His lips made their way from her lips down her neck and down further still. Her heart thudded in her chest so hard she was sure he could hear it. His hand slipped under her shirt, his soft fingertips sliding up her belly making her tremble beneath them. When the tips of his fingers began to trace the underside of her breast, suddenly it hit her that this was real and the medic in her stopped his hand with her own, right before she blurted out, “Marcus wait, what about…” She swallowed hard as his head shot up. His brow furrowed while he waited for her to finish speaking. And under his intense gaze, she suddenly felt ridiculous and shy all at once. “I could…”

But the words _get pregnant_ caught in her throat. She had meant what she said. She didn’t want to wait. She wanted this. Wanted to be with him, but… 

“Abby?” 

God, why couldn’t he read her mind? She gave him what she hoped was her most pleading look but he just blinked at her, clueless. Ugh, men. When nothing else came, he finally asked, “What?”

She closed her eyes and groaned. “ _Think_ about it, Marcus.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. She could see it in his eyes the moment he realized what she was trying to say and he chuckled. “How? We have implants.”

Her eyes left his. She stared up at the top of her tent and clicked her tongue. “I don’t have one, actually.”

“You don’t have an implant?” He looked at her like she was kidding but when she didn’t return the look he frowned. “What? Really?”

She let out a soft sigh. It wasn’t that she never had one. She did. But she had it removed a year after it had been put in. She hadn’t been allowed to tell a soul. Not even her mother. “I got a medical waiver.”

“How did you manage that?”

“Being a trusted, responsible adult who can control her baser urges, it’s easy to come by. Especially when you’re training under the Chief of Medical.”

He wasn’t buying that as an explanation. Rules were followed and obeyed on the Ark, and as a man who devoted his youth and his life to strictly following and enforcing those laws, Marcus was stunned by the notion of an exception. “Why would you need a waiver, though?”

“For some women, implants can cause side effects. Mine were severe enough that I was given a choice.” She suppressed a shudder remembering the migraines, fevers, nausea and dizzy spells. 

“Oh.”

“Mmhmm.” Now that she thought about it, they would be reckless if they had sex without any extra precaution since her other choice of birth control was hundreds of miles above them. 

He let out a long sigh, and she felt slightly guilty for leading them as far as she did only to throw cold water on them both. But then he smirked and surprised her by planting a row of kisses down her jaw. “We can do other things, you know.”

It was her turn to frown. “What other things?”

He laughed lightly and raised his head. There was amusement in his eyes when he told her, “Abby, you really spent too much time with your nose in the wrong kind of books.”

“What are you- _oh_...” his hand that had been under her shirt moved up and cupped her breast. She pressed her lips together to keep from moaning aloud.

“Trust me?” he asked his lips just below her ear.

“I do,” she murmured automatically. He removed his hand and moved away so he could lift the hem of her shirt up and up. She reached down and helped him remove it. The cold air was acute, and made her skin break out in goosebumps. She wasn’t sold long though, because he returned to her and resumed his kisses and soft caresses.

His lips dragged down between the valley of her breasts, moving lower with each and every kiss. 

Abby sucked in a breath when he moved her bra aside to take a nipple in his mouth. Her eyes closed. She didn’t know it could be like this. An all-consuming warmth, that made her want him- _them_ so much. He seemed to have an affinity for her breasts which made her want to laugh. She’d caught his eyes wandering on the Ark and even more now since they’d been together on the ground. His hands had always remained in neutral places, resting on her stomach just under her breasts never touching but close enough she always wondered if he when he would ever cross that barrier. Now that he had stepped over, it was as if he were making up for lost time. 

Not that she minded.

Only Jake's hands had roamed there once, but where he had been firm and aggressive, Marcus was gentle and subdued. He took his time to kiss and caress. Respond to every gasp and moan. 

She felt him hard against her thigh, making her acutely aware of the pool of heat had been building low in her belly. Her hips arched against him, making him moan against her breast. Would it be so bad if they did more? What were the odds, really? She wouldn’t get pregnant on their first time. She may not have the implant, but he did. Their chances were higher than most, but it was something.

“You’re going to make me think I’m doing something wrong.”

She opened her eyes and looked down. He was looking up at her. His head tilted mouth set in an amused, crooked smile.

She let out an embarrassed giggle. “I was just thinking about how maybe more wouldn’t be such a bad thing?”

“Well then.” He dipped his head, gave one last kiss to each breast then moved to sit back. His eyes were dark and intense. “Let’s get you out of the rest of your clothes.”

She laughed. She honestly thought he’d be a lot harder to convince. Moving on her side, he could reach behind her and unclasped her bra. His eyes drank her in as he pulled it away. She’d never been bare in front of anyone before, and felt the need to cover herself but resisted it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been devouring them moments ago. And it was Marcus. And he loved her.

“God Abby, you’re so beautiful.”

Biting her lip, Abby smiled shyly up at him. She’d developed faster than any of the other girls her age. She’d been made fun of, but then later ogled by most of the boys. Marcus looking at her had always been different. Even when he had looked. “You make me feel it.”

She sat up then, and he looked at her with surprise when she gave a tug on his shirt. “If I’m getting naked, you’re getting naked.” He smiled and she leaned up to kiss him. “All’s fair after all.”

He still didn’t argue, instead, he eagerly crossed his arms and pulled his tee off, tossing it somewhere into their tent. With the dim light from the fires outside, she was able to take a moment and appreciate his physique. From his tone arms and chest, to the small trail of hair that started just under his navel down below the waistband of his pants. She bit her lip, nervousness filling her. She may have been a trained medic, on her way to becoming a doctor, had seen many naked men and women before this, her inexperience in intimacy made her feel completely out of her element.

He moved closer, and before she knew it he was pressing his forehead against hers. Her brow furrowed, and she made a noise of protest but he interrupted her with a gentle, “You’re thinking too much, Abby.”

She nodded, and they sat there for what felt like minutes just breathing together. A shiver ran down her spine, feeling his hand on her back as he lowered them slowly back on the ground. With one arm braced by her side, he hovered over her while kissing her and she felt the buttons on her pants come undone. He hooked his fingers in the waistband and gazed at her waiting until she nodded her assurance then moved back again to pull them gently down her hips. She helped kick them off and once she was free she didn’t let him get comfortable until she had his pants off too. 

When they were both naked, the look he gave her was a little uncertain, but she raised her hand and cupped the back of his head. Fingers tangling into his hair she pulled him down. The feeling of him bare against her made breath hitch. And when he settled himself between her tights and felt him pressing against her the tent filled not only with her soft moan but also his. 

His lips met hers, their mouths softened, and her hands instinctively found his shoulders, gripping them to press him even closer.

After a few moments of heated kissing that left them both breathless, he drew away. “Before things get too far here and you have me doing something we probably shouldn’t, I think I mentioned showing you other things.”

“Those other things can wait,” she murmured. “I like this. I like you right here." Boldly, she wrapped her legs around his hips.

He let out a low groan, but then chuckled softly and bumped the end of his nose against hers. “I can tell, but you’ll like this other thing I want to do to you.”

She was about to ask what he had in mind but too quickly he moved away from her. She watched as he kissed his way down her body, stopping to suck and tease each of her breasts once again before moving down to her stomach and further down. Her eyes widened. Was he really going to do what she thought he was? His hands gripped her hips and felt a kiss on the inside of her thigh. She felt her face heat. 

Her voice was a soft whisper when she said his name. 

“Trust me?” he responded, and Abby nodded though her legs drew closer together on instinct, but he moved them gently apart, draped one over his shoulder and held the other with his hand. 

Her thighs trembled, and he kissed each before placing a kiss to a place she never knew she needed to be kissed. 

“Oh my God,” she said abruptly in a loud and throatily voice she couldn’t believe had been hers.  She immediately covered her hand over her mouth. Marcus' shoulders shook with silent laughter. “Don’t laugh at me,” she said indignant, only this time her voice was much softer.

“I’m sorry,” he said, raising his head and placing a kiss to the inside of her knee. “I just didn’t expect that reaction.”

Embarrassed, she hissed, “Well that’s what you got so if you’re going to make fun of me the-” her words came to a halt with the feel of his tongue sliding over her. Her head tipped back. “Oh…”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare,” she murmured and reached down, tangling her fingers in his hair gently guiding him back.

For the next while, Abby was lost in the sensation of his tongue and his soft butterfly kisses. Her back arched, her hips lifted into his attention for more, craving more. But what _more_ exactly, she couldn't say. He seemed to know, though, because a few moments later she felt the loss of him and looked down to see him gazing at her. He moved his hand from her leg and felt his fingers. At first, they caressed her as he had with his tongue then moved down and her jaw dropped open and her eyes closed as he slipped a finger into her.

"Is this alright?"

_Alright?_ God, she could barely speak. She managed to whisper a breathy _yes_ , then with a self-satisfied smile, he returned to his task. 

She writhed. With his fingers and tongue, she felt lost, undone. These other things he had in mind weren't so bad at all. In fact, if she had it her way, she’d never want him to stop. Her breathing quickened. She felt like she was nearing something. Something building low in her belly. She never felt anything like this before. She had never been brave enough to experiment like Callie had. Too shy to touch herself even alone in her own bed. 

"Marcus," his name left her lips in a plea. 

"What Abby?" he asked. "Tell me what you need." 

She bit her lip, then admitted, "I don't know."

"Tell me when I do something you really like and I won't stop."

"Okay." His tongue was back on her, this time it felt more intense. His soft licks became quick flicks over and over again. Abby closed her eyes. That feeling in her belly tightening. She moaned, then a quiet "Yes, like that."

Her fingers returned to his head, tangled in his hair. She was so so close to something... And just when she thought she'd chase the feeling forever he added another finger and instead of licking he began to suck and it only took three thrusts of his fingers and she saw stars. 

* * *

“Fuck," he panted, hardened even more at the sounds he was drawing from her, and his forehead fell against her belly. He could feel Abby relax, then his mouth descended on her once again. With one long petting lick, Marcus took her clit between his lips and sucked. Softly at first, and then harder, then swirled his tongue over her. Licking and applying more pressure with his mouth and felt a surge of satisfaction as Abby’s back arched again.

“Do you like it like this?”

“Yes,” she breathed, and he increased his speed. “God, Marcus, I feel it again, please don't stop.”

Abby spread her legs wider and a smirk formed on his lips. Marcus inserted a second finger and began to pump into her, massaging with deep, slow thrusts.

“Oh... _oh,_ Marcus _y-yes_ ,” Abby whispered softly.

“Good?” he rasped. Abby was nodding, his name leaving her lips over and over in reverent confirmation. Marcus grinned, quite pleased with himself for getting her there a second time so quickly, continuing to move, pumping his fingers into her. He licked and lapped and suckled, his stubble rubbed against the inside of her thighs, and Abby hummed, panting in short, breathy little gasps until again she trembled and fell over the edge again.

He caressed her thighs until Abby reached for his hand and Marcus laced his fingers with hers as her legs continued to tremble.

She was still trying to catch her breath when Marcus started trailing open-mouthed kisses back up her body. Her eyes opened, looking up at him as he hovered over her. 

He blinked down at her. God, she was beautiful. Beautiful and wonderful and his.

She bit her lip as her hand slid slowly down his chest. “Can I… touch you?”

Could she touch him? Fucking hell, he nearly came right then and there just from her asking.

Marcus nodded. Swallowing hard as Abby took him tentatively in her hand. He could tell how nervous and hesitant she was, so he covered her hand with his. Slowly he instructed her, showing her what he liked, but Abby was a quick study and soon his hand left hers and his hips matched her strokes. His head fell to her shoulder. His hand clutched her side as her name spilled from his lips. He was already so incredibly turned on and… _Fuck_ , he was going to come. Just as he was about to tell her as much, with her lips against his brow she whispered, “I love you, Marcus.”

With a guttural groan of her name, Marcus spilled on her belly and then fell to his side beside her heavily. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it might come right out of his chest. He closed his eyes feeling her soft kisses along his brow and cheeks. When he found his breath, he turned and reached for a strip of cloth Abby had set aside for bandages that he had spotted on his way in. Taking one, he turned back to Abby, who was watching him, a small smile pulling at her lips as he cleaned himself from her. She told him thank you and turning, he tossed it over towards the corner of the tent.

Moving back into his arms, Abby cupped his face and rubbed her thumbs over the stubble on either side of his jaw. He smiled then they shared wet, open-mouthed kisses until they started feeling drowsy.

Abby lifted her own heavy eyelids and noticed his tired yawn. Placing a soft kiss to the brim of his nose, his eyes lifted to meet her own. “I didn’t think it’d feel quite like that,” she told him, her shyness returning dusting her cheeks with pink.

“Good?” 

“Good? More like amazing.”

He chuckled and closed his eyes, pulled her close and buried his nose in her hair.

Abby giggled at the feel of his breath on her neck, and, pushing gently at his shoulder with her hand, she said, “We have to do that again as soon as possible.”

Marcus snorted. Pulling back, he sank his top teeth into his bottom lip, imagining all the ways he could have her. “Oh we will, but first I need a few hours of sleep.”

Her face fell. “Do you really have to go back out there tomorrow?”

“I do. We have to get our people in the shelter before it gets any colder out here. And besides, it’d be nice to have a mattress again.”

“Amen to that.”

He pressed a kiss to her temple. “This is going to work, Abby.”

“I know. I believe in you. And so do all these kids.” She tilted her head up and kissed his lips lightly. “I don’t care how long they said we should have been up in space. You were born to be here, Marcus. You’re a natural leader. I’m proud of you, and I’m so glad you brought me with you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I thought they needed a volunteer medic?”

“Taylor may have volunteered first, but it didn’t take much persuasion for him to let me go instead.”

He cupped her face and rubbed his thumb across her cheekbone. “I love you. I’m going to protect us. Somehow I’ll find a way to make peace with the grounders.”

Her hand covered his. “I know you will. I love you, too.”

With a sigh, he kissed her then drew away so they could find their clothes.

It didn’t take them long to settle in once they were dressed. He arranged the blankets over them, so they’d stay warm. Abby snuggled against him and Marcus wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer to him. In minutes, his eyes drifted closed, and with the feel of her deep breathing against his chest, Marcus let sleep claim him.


	7. Chapter 7

A week later they were almost ready to move them and the kids into the shelter. There had been no attacks, but there were reports there had been lookouts near and around the camp. It was almost as though the Grounders were making it clear they were being watched, and it unsettled Marcus more than any attack. 

At least the Grounders weren’t doing anything to stop them, she had told Marcus late one night when he couldn’t sleep. If they had lookouts then they knew about the shelter and made no attempt to prevent them from taking it. She saw it as a good sign, but he preferred to remain cautious.

Abby got up early on the morning they would start to move the first wave of kids to the shelter. Marcus and his security team had just returned after a long night making sure the bunker had securities in place. She practically had to threaten him to go lie down and sleep for a few hours. While he was resting, she was checking on the minor injuries around camp while helping Callie make sure the kids began to pack their belongings so they could start moving small groups throughout the week. Jake had suggested they should all go at once, but Marcus and Charles argued that would leave them too vulnerable should the grounders try something. Just when she was returning to the medical tent, Octavia Blake along with Jasper Jordan came running into camp. 

The dark-haired girl spotted her and called out, “Abby, we need you!”

She came to a stop waiting for the girl. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Monty,” she said breathless from running. “We think he broke his leg.”

She looked between them both. “How?”

Abby turned to find Thelonious, Jake, and Diana standing behind her. 

“Hunting. The idiot fell into a hole. We think the grounders dug it as a trap.”

A hole? She looked around, but she saw no sign of Monty. God, they didn’t. “Did you get him out?”

“Yeah.” Jasper pointed outside of the camp. “Bellamy’s with him. They’re not too far.”

She looked over a Thelonious who nodded to Diana and Jake and began talking about taking people out to help. To Octavia and Jasper, she said, “Alright, give me a minute to get some things.”

“We’ll go with you,” Jake said.

Abby didn’t respond, just turned and headed toward the tent to retrieve the supplies she may need. Before she could reach the tent though she felt a hand take her wrist. 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

She gazed at the hand then the person who held it. It was Marcus. He looked tired, his hair sticking up at odd angles in the back. The purple shadows under his eyes were a testament to how tired he was, but right now he was more than alert and he didn’t look pleased.

“Someone is hurt, Marcus. I'm going out to help them.”

“No, you're not,” he told her, tone firm. “We’ll send a team and bring him back. If the Grounders are out there setting traps, I don’t want you out there.”

She looked around at the gazes that were falling on them. “Let go of my arm,” she replied in a low voice. 

He shook his head and stepped closer. “I’m not letting you go out there alone.”

Without _him_ , he meant. He wasn’t letting her go out there alone without him.

She tilted her chin up, narrowed her eyes and matched his intense gaze. “Fine. Then you better get ready to go with us, because I’m going.” 

Abby pulled her hand away and spun on her heel marching toward the medical tent. Angry tears burned in her eyes and she wiped them furiously away as they fell. If he thought he could tell her what to do, he had another thing coming.

She didn’t talk to him the whole way there. Not on the hour and a half walk out there. Not when she bandaged up Monty’s leg. Not when she tripped and begrudgingly let him help her up. The only time said a word was when he took her by the waist and pulled her roughly against a tree. 

Indignation and anger roared up in her. “What the hell, Ma-“

He covered her mouth with his hand. Her eyes widened as he held his finger to his lips. She would have yelled at him, would have gone off for daring to grab her again, to cover her mouth like he was, but the look of pure horror on his face kept her from uttering a single word. 

Instantly, she was terrified. Her hands found his arms clutching his jacket.

She heard sounds in the distance. Grunting, followed by agonizing moans, then terrified screams. She didn’t recognize the voice, but still, she prayed it wasn’t one of their people. Then suddenly with the sickening sound of a snap, it went quiet. But not for long. 

The silence was followed by the unmistakable sound of chewing… 

Marcus lifted his hand from her mouth and settled it on her shoulder. His eyes looked around and saw Jake and Bellamy with Monty braced between them slowly beginning to back away. To her left, was Thelonious, his eyes met Marcus.’ They were filled with the same terror as his.

Thelonious tilted his head, gesturing soundlessly to Jake and Bellamy to keep going.

Marcus leaned close and whispered, “We’re going to wait for the other three to get away and then I want you to get behind me as slowly and quietly as you can. We’re going to back away before that thing realizes we’re here.”

A tear slipped down her cheek. Her heartbeat threatened to pound right out of her chest. “Marcus, what _is_ it? What’s out there?”

“I don’t know, and don't want to find out right now.”

He reached for his gun, and she watched Thelonious do the same. They waited where they were for minutes that felt like hours. 

Just when she thought she couldn’t take standing there and listening to the sounds anymore, Marcus leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, “On three, step around me and start to walk away. One. Two. Three.” 

She moved behind him and clutched the back of his jacket. Her gaze stayed focused on the moss below her feet and sent up a prayer of thanks because it softened their footsteps. The sounds grew quieter the father they retreated. Marcus held out his gun in front of him, but she refused to look past his shoulder. 

Relief filled her when they put a good distance between them and whatever that thing was, but then a snap came from beside them. Her eyes darted to Thelonious who was looking down at his feet, a branch had snapped underneath his left foot. Marcus tensed in front of her a moment before he turned. “Run.”

He didn’t need to tell her twice. With Marcus footsteps falling heavily behind her, she didn’t stop. In the distance, a horrible growl filled the air. Her heartbeat quickened. Adrenaline flooded her veins making her run faster despite her beginning to feel breathless. 

She could hear crashing. Tree limbs snapping, branches falling. Marcus shouted, _To your left, Abby!_ She turned, but her foot caught on something making her trip with Marcus falling after her. 

While she scrambled to their feet, he said, “What the- _shit_. Abby, in here!”

She turned and watched him lift the lid to something. Though questions sprang to her mind, she didn’t ask, just knelt and with a deep breath dropped inside. She fell about eight feet and landed on concrete. She moved to the side to make way for Marcus who fell right after her. The door slammed shut just seconds before she heard heavy steps and a roar of rage above them. 

Abby let out a breath and reached for Marcus. Her hands trembled. She couldn’t stop shaking. “What was that?”

“I don’t know.” He bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. “An animal of some sort.”

She crossed her arms around her middle, hugging herself. “Do you think it’ll go away?”

“Probably.” Marcus took her in his arms, and she let him, forgetting for the moment that she was mad at him. “It’ll be too dark to leave here with it so close. It would be better to wait until morning before we try and make it back to camp.”

She nodded and stepped away from him inspecting the room around them. Wherever they were it was a shelter of some sort. With the small light provided by the top of the hatch, Marcus managed to find a couple of lanterns and get them lit.

* * *

 

The small shelter, Marcus found, had a bookshelf full of books. Which turned out to be a good thing because Abby was back to not speaking to him. From the small lantern light beside the chair where he was sitting, he tried to focus on the words. He’d read the same sentence for the third time when a blanket dropped in front of him. “Here. You can sleep on the couch.”

He looked up at her. After she got over her initial fear from the creature outside, she seemed to have remembered their fight from earlier that morning and closed herself off once again. He watched her walked back over to the other side of the shelter where there was a small bed with more than enough room for them both.

He closed the book and stood. “Abby, I’m sorry. Will you please just talk to me?”

“No, I want to be mad at you,” she said removing her jeans while facing the wall. 

“Abby, we could have died up there. This is ridiculous.”

That was entirely the wrong thing to say to her. 

She turned toward him slowly with raised eyebrows. “Oh, _this_ is ridiculous? No, Marcus, you want to know what’s ridiculous? You. You and the way you think you can tell me what to do just because we’re together. Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was out there?”

He swallowed past the lump that formed in his throat. “When it comes to your safety, I think I have a right to be concerned.”

“Be concerned, yes. Take me aside and talk to me, okay, fine. But grab me and treat me like a child in front of everyone? That doesn’t fly with me.”

He looked down at his boots. “You’re right, and I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s bad enough I have to worry about a hundred kids being attacked and having to treat them with the little supplies I do, about my mom being taken care of on the Ark and how _I_ have to worry about _you_ going out there every day. Now I have to worry about my boyfriend making me look like a fool.” He had cringed each time she ticked off each of her worries. But it was her last words that had surprised him and made his chest filled with warmth. Despite how angry she had been at him, his lips tugged up. “What?” she snapped.

“Nothing. You called me your boyfriend is all.”

Her shoulders fell. “I’m going to sleep.”

“Abby, I’m sorry, please.” He took a step toward her, but she was already under the covers blowing out the lantern.

Hours later, he gazed at the roof of the shelter. It was so much warmer down inside there than it was in their tent but without Abby beside him, he still missed her warmth. “It’s a funny thing, you know.”

She exhaled loudly and he smiled to himself knowing good and well she would ask. “What’s that?”

“Getting used to sleeping next to someone. You don’t realize how much you get used to the warmth until it’s gone.” He made sure he sounded nonchalant about it, not really letting on how much he missed her beside him. If he did, she’d really make him sleep on the couch.

Another sigh. “You can sleep with me.”

“You sure?”

“Just get over here before I change my mind,” she told him while moving on the bed closer to the wall. Once he was settled and had her spooned close, she turned her head towards him, and said, “I'm still mad at you.”

He placed a kiss on her shoulder. “I know, I’m sorry. I won't do it again. You have my word.”

“Good,” came her reply. He closed his eyes thinking that was enough. She’d be mad at him a little while longer, but they’d be alright. Just when he started to relax, she turned in his arms, and demanded, “Kiss me.”

He let out a laugh. “What?”

“You heard me. We could have died but we didn’t and I’m mad at you but I’m glad you’re not dead. Now kiss me.” Chucking, he obeyed. Dipping his head, he cupped the side of her face and touched her lips with his. Her mouth opened and he groaned. For the next few minutes, they kissed and breathed whispered apologies and _I love yous_.

Eventually, layers of clothing became discarded on the floor and when they were down to their underwear Abby put a hand on his chest.

“Marcus, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

The shy look that had been absent as of late returned. “You know I haven’t but have you ever… done this before?”

 _Ah._ He wondered when that would come up.

“Does it matter?” he asked, not that he wouldn’t tell her but was more embarrassed by the answer more than anything.

“No, but I’d like to know. You may have loved me, but don’t think I don’t remember Isabel Olsen from farm station.”

Of course, Abby would remember her. He sighed. He and Isabel went out for six months. Three of those months Isabel’s father forbade her from seeing him. They kissed a handful of times, and though he thought she was clever and funny, his heart wasn’t in it and Isabel knew it. 

“No, I haven’t.” Her eyes that had been down somewhere between them flicked up to meet his. She hadn’t been expecting that. He probably should have told her sooner, but it wasn’t really something he knew how to bring up. “You’re surprised.”

“It’s just…” Once again her gaze fell away from his. Her hand trailed absentmindedly over his chest and collarbone. “It’s just you seem like you know what you’re doing is all.”

He nodded, then with a deep breath said, “Do you remember I told you-you had your nose in the wrong kind of books?”

Her eyes widened. “You learned all that from _books_?”

“Well, a book,” he clarified. “Someone left it in the mess one day. As rare as they are, I picked it up and started reading it. I realized quickly that it was a romance and was going to turn it in but then it got... better.”

She giggled. “It must have been one hell of a book.”

“When it wasn’t completely cheesy, it was alright.” He leaned down and took her lips in a kiss. “Feel better now?”

“Yes, I do,” she said, but before he could kiss her again, she put her hand on his chest stopping him. “But one more question.” His brow furrowed, but he needn't have worried. Her lips pulled up into a wide smile. “Did it have a happy ending?”

He laughed and returned her smile before giving her a light kiss. “It did.”

Now that she was satisfied, he went back to where he had left off and began kissing a trail down her jaw. “So what else did you read about? We are all alone here,” she pointed out.

His head rose. Anticipation sending blood rushing to parts of him that were now very intrigued at such conditions. “That’s true. We might as well take advantage of this place and the privacy while we can.”

* * *

They rid each other of their clothes between lingering kisses and soft caresses. Marcus situated himself between her thighs, and though they’d been in this position before a jolt of fear shot through her. Would it be painful? She remembered hearing all about Callie’s first time. How she told her that it only really hurts the first couple times, more uncomfortable than anything. As long as the guy knew what he was doing it wouldn’t be too bad.

God, she wished she talked to Callie before this. She had meant to many times over the last couple of weeks, but they were always so busy or someone was always within earshot.

Abby’s hands gripped his shoulders, her back arching into his touch as his fingers touched and teased, did everything she wanted them to. Her breathing sharpened. Abby knew she was close, but this wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted _him_. She was tired of waiting. "Marcus, please. I just want you."

He gazed down at her, his dark eyes boring into hers with such an intensity that it stole the breath from her. She threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled him to her, locking her lips with his.

She held her breath as she felt him press into her, slipping in gently before moving back out. The next time he thrust into her a little more forcefully and she felt the sting of pain right before she broke their kiss to hiss against his lips. 

“Are you alright?” he asked looking down into her eyes.

“I’m okay,” she replied, leaning up to reassure him with a soft kiss. “Are you?”

He let out a soft snort followed by a light laugh. “I’m more than okay."

They smiled at one another and began kissing once again. His hips moved and - _Oh God_. She couldn’t think about anything. She could only feel as he moved slowly, oh so slowly, in and out. Her legs tightened around him, and she could only bite back whimpers as he moved inside her. God, he felt… this felt…

Her fingers caressed the back of his neck, and his brown eyes gazed down into hers, uncertainty. She licked her lips. "It’s alright. Don't stop..." Abby told him, arching her back and tilting her hips to meet his.

* * *

Fuck, Marcus didn't think he could stop if he wanted to. Abby was tight and hot and _wet_... and a wave of relief washed over him at her reassurance because how he’d imagined she’d feel was nothing compared to the actual feel of her surrounding him. With his lips against hers, Marcus mumbled, “Not a chance.”

With a slow rhythm, he reached down between them, caressing her the way he knew that she liked. Her face began to relax and when she started to make those little breathy gasps again, he began to move inside her with even, lazy strokes, giving her time to get comfortable with him. 

With his belly pressed to hers and her legs up against his sides, he set a slow in and out pace that had Abby whispering his name and her fingers tangling his hair, clutching and releasing in time with their rhythm.

Breaths mingling, brows together, her heavy-lidded eyes look up into his, Marcus wondered how he got so lucky.

When Abby started to move below him, he grunted and bit his lower lip, pressing his forehead to her shoulder, unsure of how long he would be able to hold back. “Are you close?”

“Yes…” Her voice was tight in his ear as she whispered, “I’m so close.”

He groaned. So completely and utterly captivated by her, so aroused, but he wanted nothing more than to give her what she needed. “Tell me, Abby.”

She hummed, sounding unsure, so he took her hand in his and guided it down between them. Her brow furrowed at first, but then her mouth dropped open when she moved her fingers over herself. Her legs tightened around him, pulling him closer, deeper inside her. “More. Faster.”

He nodded and obeyed, sharpening his thrusts, rapping against her, making her whimper, and cry out. Watching as she touched herself while he moved inside her was nearly his undoing. He wasn’t going to last. “You're so beautiful, Abby. You feel so good. Come for me,” he encouraged her.

It didn’t take her long. Eyes fluttering shut, he felt her tightening around him. Breathless and trembling, she arched her back and let out a cry of release. _Thank God,_ he thought. He only lasted a few more moments as the last of her climax dwindled. His hips thrusting one, two, three times then he stiffened and groaned her name as he released deep inside her. Marcus collapsed, bracing his weight on his forearms as he breathed into her neck. Abby’s warm breath feathered across his cheek before she tilted her head back, trying to catch her own breath. He trailed his lips along her jaw, moving up to her earlobe to affectionately nibble there.

After a moment, he leaned back to look down into her eyes. A look of soft affection was held in hers, and her lips tilted up into a small smile he couldn’t help but return. God, he loved her so much. With one last kiss, he eased out of her and moved them to their sides, threading his fingers through her hair he tucked strands of it behind her ear. Her lips met his and they spent the next several minutes like that. 

Breaking apart a while later, they both smiled. However, as they held each other’s gaze, her smile slowly faded, and tears began to form in her eyes and she turned her eyes from him.

“Abby?” His hand reached down and gently coaxed her chin up to look at him. “What is it?”

Abby smiled, tears welling up, and shook her head. “Nothing, I’m sorry,” she apologized, her hands running up and down his arms. “It’s just, I love you so much.”

But it was more than just that, he knew. It was their first time. Being with someone, sharing the connection they felt, was special to her. It was special to him. He gently cupped her face, held it between his hands, “I love you too. More than anything.”

Abby gave him a soft smile, and Marcus leaned forward and brought her lips to his. He kissed her deeply and brushed the tears away from her cheeks.


End file.
